Kuran no Kiri
by DemonVampire13
Summary: PnP sequel. She left him, without a word, in the Land of Snow. Three years later, Itachi has returned, seeking Kai-Linn. "They" want her help with the upcoming war between Konoha, Oto, and Akatsuki. Will she follow or condemn everyone she loves to death?
1. The Hunt

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters or anything ELSE related to it... Kuran no Kiri roughly translates into 'Mist of the Nine Orchids'

This is a sequel to my story Past and Present... this is a three year timeskip from the end of the story...

* * *

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 1

The Hunt

Three years ago, she had left him for dead in the Land of Snow... now as she stood, fully cloaked, in the Land of Rain, she wondered how well he was fairing. The stab wound was inches from his heart and even though she had healed it, she wondered exactly how bad the internal damage was...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of static. She pressed the button on the leather strap wrapped around her neck.

"What is it now?" She sighed, green eyes glinting.

"_They're on the move..._" Some static... "_Heading toward your location... do not fail..._"

"Oh, shuddup..." She hissed back. "I'm doing this of my own accord... you know better than to order me around..."

There was no response. She shook her head and back flipped off the top of the tree she stood on. Landing in a clearing, she opened her now moonlit colored eyes. Three chakra signatures were charging toward her. From her cloak she pulled out a purple katana. The figures stopped in front of her. She spotted the one she was targeting... chestnut hair, blue-gray eyes... Seiten Harasu.

"Lookie what we found, boys." The man chided. "A kunoichi! Wanna help use escape some people, then join us for dinner... maybe more?"

"You shouldn't flaunt yourself so much... I'm not as naïve as I look."

Senbon shot toward one man, striking him in clusters of nerves around the body. The man collapsed on the ground, paralyzed. The man to the right charged toward her. Her purple katana lashed out and struck him in the throat. Tossing her katana to the side, she charged for the last one. She tackled him to the ground, kunai at the neck.

"Ronin Seiten Harasu... Missing-Nin of Kumo..."

"Nice about looking up my info..." He smiled up at her. "Did my report say that I was good in bed?" The kunai was pressed closer to his neck, a thin line of blood trickling to the grass.

"I'm not here to make jokes, Harasu-san... If you wish to continue living, I suggest joining me. If I don't kill you, the hunter-nin will..."

He stared at her for a moment, his eyes narrow in concentration. "Oh! Are you Kagemara Kai-Linn?!" He blurted out. "Uchiha Itachi was looking for you about three years back. My friend and I ran into him in the Land of Snow and he asked if we had seen you..."

Kai-Linn froze. '_Itachi... was looking for me..._' Harasu cocked his head to the side. He took the advantage, took her kunai and attacked her. Her figure transformed into her cloak.

Harasu looked at her standing at the other side of the clearing. Kai-Linn's dark auburn hair was about shoulder length. She wore a dark crimson colored, knee-high kimono dress with fishnet around the stomach and shoulders. Her eyes were now her normal emerald color.

"With the cloak off, you are quite the pretty sight..." He smirked, taking off his own cloak.

Kai-Linn didn't reply. The boy started to do a string of handsigns. In her mind, she did a string of her own handsigns. Harasu stopped, planting his hand on the ground.

"Doton: Retsudotensho!!**(1)**" He cried out.

Fissures appeared at Kai-Linn's feet. She jumped away from a few and when she landed more shot toward her. She cursed, throwing kunai at Harasu. He removed his hand from the ground and threw shuriken at the kunai, deflecting them. She picked up her sword and held it horizontally.

"Raiton: Ryuuga no Hana...**(2)**" She smiled.

Chakra surged into the sword, surrounding the purple blade in a blue glow. It snaked toward Harasu, looking somewhat like a dragon. It struck him in the stomach. With a cry of pain, he collapsed on the ground. Kai-Linn walked over to him. Blood was seeping from his fingers, pained cries echoing in the woods.

"Don't worry, it only feels fatal..." she stated. "If you come with me, I'll heal you... if you don't..." She placed her sword by his throat. "I'll kill you where you lay..."

Harasu looked up at her. Her eyes were cold looking. He looked at his stomach then back up at her. He gave a small smirk.

"Tempting... but I'm gonna have to say n-" He never finished.

Kai-Linn cleaned the blood off her sword, sheathed it and walked away from the scene toward a nearby village, where the person who hired her to kill Harasu awaited.

Upon reaching the village, she walked into a bar and over to a corner where a man sat. He looked up at her and gave a slimy grin.

"Did ya kill dat boy?" He slurred.

"Yes... I killed him and his friends..." her eyes narrowed at the man. "Where is my money?"

"How 'bout I give you some other payment?" He asked with a sick grin.

He flinched as Kai-Linn's blade touched his cheek. He fumbled a bit before taking out a pack of money and placing on the table with a small 'Klink'. She snatched up the bag and walked out, towards a small store for supplies.

* * *

Two figures stood amongst the hell that Kai-Linn had wreaked hours before. One kicked Harasu's corpse with his foot and sneered.

"This one is definitely is dead... oh well..." He sighed in a gravely voice.

"Hn..." The second shook his head.

"I wonder who the hell did this..." The man spotted one moving slightly. He walked over and planted his foot on the boy's back. "Tell me, who did this?"

"I... It was a Kunoichi..." The boy whispered in fear. "With silver yellow eyes, like moonlight, and a purple snake-like katana! I never got her name!"

The second figure tensed. The first brought foot down harder, snapping the boy's spine. He turned to his teammate with a confused look.

"What is it, Itachi-san?" Kisame asked.

"Kai-Linn... she did this..." he stated quietly. He looked around with his blood red eyes. _Remains of her chakra are headed west..._ "Kisame, head back... I'll catch up." Itachi ordered.

The Sharkman didn't argue. He shrugged and jumped away from the clearing. Itachi ran toward the west, searching out Kai-Linn's chakra.

_

* * *

___

Jutsus used in chapter:

**(1) Doton: Retsudotensho (lit. Earth Release: Split Earth Turn Around Palm):** A basic technique of the Iwagakure Ninja. Chakra is concentrated in the palm of the hand and used to open up fissures in the earth.

**(2) Raiton: Ryuuga no Hana (lit. Lighting Release: Flower of the Dragon Fang): **A technique only Kai-Linn can do. Concentrating a large amount of chakra to her sword, the chakra becomes visible and the sword uncurls and snakes toward the enemy. The chakra takes the form of a lighting dragon.

\/Author Note/\

i was going to do a sequel for Past and Present but thought that it would be ignored... when i got a request for it, i decided to give it a shot!! R&R people I'll get more chapters up as soon as possible.

DemonVampire13


	2. Reunion of Emotions

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters or anything ELSE related to it...

* * *

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 2

Reunion of Emotions

Kai-Linn looked up at the full moon high above her head. She was resting against a tree. She adorned a new cloak and a small pack with random supplies. She had just eaten a few fish caught in a nearby river. Harasu's words rang through her mind.

"_...Uchiha Itachi was looking for you about three years back..._"

What had happened three years ago flooded into her mind. She blinked tears away from her emerald eyes. Crawling into her sleeping bag, she sighed heavily and closed her eyes when her senses pricked. Someone whose chakra was masked was heading toward her. She thought nothing of it and continued to rest.

The figure landed a few feet away before walking toward her. She grasped a kunai and held it tightly as their footsteps came closer. Warm breath brushed her cheek. She rolled onto her back and opened her eyes.

She froze.

Itachi's face was barely an inch from hers, his black eyes staring into her green ones. His breath caressed her mouth as she realized that their lips were almost touching... Her cheeks flushed a deep pink. With a loud 'crack', her open palm struck Itachi across the cheek. Jumping to her feet, she gave a small glare at Itachi.

"Wh-What do you think you were trying to pull?!" She cried at him.

Itachi touched his cheek gingerly before looking at her with a bemused face. He stood and walked over to her, wrapping his arm around her waist and leaning toward her face.

"Showing that the feeling's mutual, Kai-chan..." He whispered... was there a hint of seductiveness in his voice? "You said you loved me, so I'm returning the adoration..."

Itachi leaned closer to Kai-Linn's lips. He was about to kiss her when he looked at her eyes. They were wide with astonishment, which made him give a small smirk. He turned to her ear and blew onto it. She shivered.

"Got you..." He whispered before stepping away.

Kai-Linn stood stiffly in front of him. Her cheeks were bright pink and her eyes were fluttering. Her façade quickly changed and she glared at him.

"Well that was anti-climactic..." She grumbled.

"Did you really expect me to kiss you, Kai-chan?" He gave a small chuckle.

"Whaaa!? I... uh... well..." She stammered, twiddling her fingers nervously. "Umm... what are you doing here?!" She blurted out, desperate to change the subject.

"I had a mission... it just happened to be here in the Land of Waves..."

"Mission my ass..." Kai-Linn grumbled. "Just admit that the Akatsuki has been keeping tabs on me..." She stopped.

Itachi appeared to her right. She blinked and looked between the two Itachi's. She raised a brow at the one in front of her before letting out a cry of frustration.

"What the hell?! Dammit, what's going on?!"

"What..." Itachi-on-the-right looked at Itachi-in-the-clearing. "What are you doing, Deidara?"

"How'd you know?!" Itachi-in-the-clearing whined. A cloud of smoke billowed around him, revealing the blonde Akatsuki member. "I thought I had that imitation down, _hmmm_!"

Kai-Linn ran up to Deidara and punched him in the face. The blonde fell back a few feet, crashing into a tree. A vein popped in her forehead as she glared at him.

"YOU TRIED TO KISS ME YOU DAMN PERVERT!!" She hollered at him. "YOU AMATEUR ARTIST!! GO CHOKE ON YOUR CLAY, BASTARD!!"

Flames seemed to dance in Kai-Linn's eyes. The blonde shivered and shied away from the clearing before jumping away. Kai-Linn sighed angrily and turned back to Itachi. Her green eyes narrowed.

"Is it really you, Ita-kun?" She asked skeptically.

His black eyes narrowed as they bled to a wet blood color. "Do you need proof?"

Kai-Linn flinched at the malice in his voice. She waved her hands in front of her face. "N-No... I know it's you!" She blinked.

Itachi quickly strode over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She blinked again before sliding her hands up to his back. His breath tickled the shell of her ear.

"I've missed you..." He murmured.

"Heh..." She gave a small chuckle. "Are you sure that you're Itachi? Cuz you aren't acting very Itachi-like..."

Itachi gave a small chuckle of his own. He pulled back to look at her, though one arm was wrapped around her waist. She looked up at him with a small smile.

"Kai-Linn... will you return to the Akatsuki... to me?" He asked suddenly.

Kai-Linn gasped quietly in surprise. She looked away and stepped out of his arms. Itachi's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"When I killed Danzou, I made a promise to myself..."

_

* * *

_

Danzou let out a cry as he felt something drove into his arm. Two kunai were dug into his legs. Kai-Linn's glowing eyes met his as she took

_off his head. The shadows disappeared._

"_No one will ever control me... not you, not the Akatsuki, not Konoha..." She glared at his bloody head. "I will live of my own way... No one shall control the Kagemara clan again."_

Itachi raised a brow in confusion as she explained. When she finished she looked up at him with a guilty expression. He shook his head and she raised a brow.

"So, because of that promise to yourself, you won't come back?" Itachi said in his usual nondescript tone. "What if I dragged you back to the Akatsuki?"

"I would never forgive you and you'd end up like Danzou..." She said blatantly.

"Is that a threat?" A smirk tugged at his lips.

Kai-Linn rolled her eyes slightly as if to say '_maybe_'. He took a few steps close to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. His free hand grasped her chin and turned her face up to his.

"What if I said please... what if I begged?" He whispered tauntingly.

"Uchiha Itachi... begging?! That would be a sight to see." She giggled.

"Will you _please_ come back to the Akatsuki? For me?"

Kai-Linn placed a finger to her chin in contemplation. She made a thoughtful face and a silence went through the clearing. She smiled at him.

"I won't follow orders like I used to, Itachi-san..." He nodded. "All right..." She leaned teasingly close to his lips. "Just because you said please."

* * *

\/Author Note/\

ok, frankly, this isn't one of the best chapters... i admit that much...

comments are accepted, flames aren't really... r&r plz more chapters soon

DemonVampire13

* * *


	3. Plans for War!

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 3

Plans For War?!

The moon was high above Otogakure. Deep in a forest, a figure strode toward an underground vicinity. She wore an Oto-Nin outfit under her cloak, eyes yellow like a cats. A red streak ran through her long hair which was up in a terra-twist fashion.

She looked up from under her cloak as she reached a large mountain. Doing a string a handsigns, she placed a hand on the rock face and a doorway appeared. She stepped in and down the staircase. As the doorway disappeared, green flames started to dance on the walls.

She strode into a room with small test tubes, vials and other things on large tables. In the center of the room was a large chair, a tall man sitting in it. She removed her cloak and moved toward the man.

"Ah, welcome home, sweet Akira-chan..." Orochimaru crooned.

Akira got down on one knee and bowed her head. Orochimaru gave a small chuckle, stood and walked over to her. She raised her head to gaze at him.

"You have done well, Akira-chan... How was the mission?"

"It was... bloody." She replied with a smile. "A beautiful success..."

Orochimaru nodded. He strode over to one of the tables to examine the items lining it. He ran a gentle hand over vials and test tubes. The only sound in the room was his shoes hitting the stone floor.

"Wonderful... the pieces of the game are coming together..." He turned to her. "So you attacked her, correct?"

"I attacked Tsunade..." She said. "Leaving everyone alive as you ordered, Orochimaru-sama..."

"Good..." Orochimaru hissed. "You are dismissed..."

"Orochimaru-sama... about..." She looked away.

He grasped her chin and made her look up at him. "When you have proven your worth to me, I will bring back your beloved Demon of the Mist..."

Akira nodded, bowed once again, and left the room. She went up the staircase and out of the vicinity, tears streaming down her face. After reaching a large grassy hill, she plopped down and stared over the expanse of Otogakure. Turning her head slightly, she spotted Sasukesitting on the cliffs above. He too was looking over Otogakure.

"Sasuke-san..." She murmured under her breath.

* * *

A large stone wall appeared in front of them, signaling that they had a mile to go before they reached the Akatsuki base. Kai-Linn's steps slowed. Itachi stopped and faced her. Her expression was guilty as she turned away from him.

"What is it?"

"What... if they... hate me..." She whispered. He barely caught her words. "I worked for ROOT when you found me in the Land of Snow... that's treason, isn't it?" She bit down on her lower lip.

Itachi didn't reply. Striding up to her quickly, he picked her up in his arms. Cheeks flushing a bright red, she looked up at him with wide eyes. He leaned close to her ear, whispering, "Pretend to be unconscious..."

Kai-Linn nodded slowly. Closing her eyes and slowing her breathing, she rested her head on Itachi's chest. They ran for awhile before he stopped abruptly. His gripped her tightly, making her open her eyes in curiosity. Sunlight struck her face, so she blinked a few times while things came into focus.

Her eyes shot open.

Itachiset her down on the ground. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and gave a shaky breath.

What had been the Akatsuki base had been reduced to a pile of rubble. Kai-Linn activated her Tsukigan. It was faint, but she sensed people alive under the rocks. She and Itachi fanned out to dig out their comrades.

After a few minutes, Itachi had managed to dig out Zetsu and Pein. He set them against trees and checked their vitals. They were alive, barely conscious.

A shrill scream made him turn around. Kai-Linn was staring at something in the ground. Her eyes were wide with fear and shock. Itachi strode up to her to see what was wrong. He looked at the ground and his eyes narrowed.

It was Kakuzu. His head had been crushed by a large rock, surrounded by a pool of blood. Itachi grasped Kai-Linn's shoulders and led her away from the corpse. Removing the rock, Itachi dragged Kakuzu's corpse over to the forest.

Kai-Linn shook her head and continued to look around the wreckage. She sensed Kisame and started to dig through the rubble. Soon, Samehada came into view.

"Kisame!" She cried.

Samehada shifted slightly and Kisame's gravely voice reached her ears. "Kunoichi? Is that you, Kai-Linn?"

"Are you alright, Fish Head?!"

"You might wanna stand back unless you want to get hit by rocks..."

Kai-Linn took a few steps away from him. With a guttural cry, Kisame shot up from the rubble, rocks flying everywhere. Kai-Linn shook her head.

"You're too proud of your strength..." She grumbled.

"What was that?!" Kisame gave her a shark grin. "Wanna take that back?"

"No... not really."

"When I'm healed... you're on my list..."

Kisame woozily walked over to the other three Akatsuki members, resting against a tree. Kai-Linn started to dig around another area.

She uncovered the upper half of Deidara, face first in the ground. He had his arms wrapped tightly around something. Kai-Linn whispered his name. He groaned before looking up at her.

"Kai-chan..." Deidara unfolded his arms and her drawing books fell to the ground. "I saved your drawing books..." He closed his eyes.

Kai-Linn unburied the rest of him. She took him over to Itachi, Pein, Zetsu, and Kisame. She and Itachi looked over their comrades.

"Where are Konan and Tobi?" Kai-Linn pondered.

"Kai-chan! Itachi-sama!" Someone cried.

Kai-Linn spun on her heel and jumped through the debris toward the voice. Itachi followed. They eventually found Tobi standing over Konan's motionless body. Kai-Linn pressed her hand to Konan's neck.

"She's okay... just unconscious..."

Itachi picked up Konan and went back to the others. He set Konan against a tree. Kai-Linn bent down to heal Konan and Deidara. Itachi started to heal Pein.

"Why did you bring her here?!" Pein hissed.

"Before she was under Danzou's control... I asked her to come back to the Akatsuki."

"You should have confrenced with me first, Itachi..."

Pein knocked Itachi's hand away. He looked over at the auburn haired girl healing Deidara. Her brows were furrowed in concentration... and deep thought.

"What happened here, Pein?" Kai-Linn mused to the orange haired leader.

"One of Orochimaru's subordinates attacked us. I don't remember what she looked like, but she easily annihilated our defenses. Before she destroyed the base she said that if any of us lived, we would be part of the new Great Ninja War... Konoha, Oto, and Akatsuki."

"So basically, she was telling you that Otogakure is declaring war on Konoha and us?"

"Yes..."

Someone tapped Kai-Linn's shoulder. She turned around, but no one was there. Her other shoulder was tapped again. She turned again... nothing. Before her shoulder could be tapped again, she spun around and caught... a vine?

"Zetsu!!" Kai-Linn glared at the plant man. "Why do you antagonize me like this?!"

"Couldn't be helped..." He chuckled. "_I couldn't resist..._" His dark side added.

Kai-Linn groaned and held her head in her hand.

* * *

\/Author Note/\

sorry it's so late, people ;.; i had a writer's block...

i think i'm losing my touch as a writer ;.;but, i've been wanting to bring Akira-chan back forever!! sure, she's on Orochi-kun's side but still... i mite have her and Sasuke get together later... mite..

R&R plz

DemonVampire13


	4. An Attack, A Plan, and An Old Friend

Disclaimer: yea, you know the deal by now, so I'm not gonna bother anymore...

* * *

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 4

An Attack, A Plan, and An Old Friend

Tsunade, Shizune, and two Chûnins jumped from branch to branch. A wounded Jônin had just come to the Hokage tower, reporting another large scale battle with an Oto-nin. Konoha was just recovering from the last Oto attack a few days ago, but what worried Tsunade the most was the attacker's description.

Blonde hair with a red streak...

Yellow cat like eyes...

Black and white katanas...

There was no mistaking it. The attacker had been Bekko Akira. Tsunade clenched and unclenched her hands, her brows furrowed in thought. Why had Akira attacked? Was there some meaning to the attacks against Konoha...?

"Hokage-sama..." One of the Chûnins whispered. "We're here..."

Tsunade, the Chûnins and Shizune stopped in a clearing.

Scorch marks lined the trees, probably from a Katon technique. There were bodies of Chûnins and Jonins littering the ground. Near a broken tree was a blood-spattered ANBU with blonde hair. Shattered parts of a puppet were surrounding the ANBU.

"Kijo-chan!" Shizune ran over to the blonde.

She stirred. Coughing up a glob of blood, Kijo looked at Shizune. Shizune leaned down and examined her wounds. Tsunade walked up.

"Shizune-chan... Hokage-sama..." Kijo said quietly.

"What happened here, Kijo?" Tsunade mused

"You heard from the Jônin messenger?" Tsunade nodded. Kijo sighed. "I was making rounds when I saw someone standing in the woods... the chakra was masked, so I thought I should investigate..." She spit some blood from her mouth. "When I saw that it was Akira, I could barely fight her as an enemy... I guess that's why I lost..."

"Why are there others here?" Tsunade looked at the Chûnin and Jônin bodies.

"The fight probably drew them here... I blacked out when she beat me..."

The Chûnins darted from body to body. They checked the vitals of each body before landing next to Tsunade. They shook their heads and she sighed heavily.

Shizune helped Kijo to her feet. Kijo walked over to the pieces of shattered puppet. Taking out a scroll, she wiped blood onto the markings. The puppet parts disappeared in a poof of smoke. Slipping the scroll away, Kijo staggered toward the forest, toward Konoha. Shizune ran up and caught her as she started to collapse.

"Shizune. After you take Kijo to the hospital, contact the Advisors." Tsunade looked up to the sky. "Tell them that we're going to war with Otogakure... against Orochimaru..."

* * *

Kakashi jumped toward the hospital. After returning from a mission, he had heard that Kijo had been wounded. When he landed in front of the large hospital, he quickly strode into the lobby.

"Hello, Kakashi-san." A nurse greeted him.

"What room is Kyoubou Kijo in?!" He blurted out.

"Kijo-chan? She's in room 134 on the second floor. Why—"

Kakashi nodded his head quickly before darting up to the second floor. He walked down the hallway to room 134. He opened the door and walked over to Kijo's bedside.

Kijo was attached to an oxygen machine. Her eyes were closed and an IV ran from her arm. Bandages were wrapped around her body. Kakashi pulled over a chair and sat down.

"Kijo-chan..." He whispered, taking her hand in his.

"He was with Akira..."

Kakashi looked at Kijo. Her eyes were barely open. She looked over with him. What caught his eye were the tears threatening to fall. He raised a brow.

"Who was with Akira...?" He whispered back.

Kakashi brushed a stray hair out of her face. Kijo grasped his wrist and pulled so his ear was by her lips.

"Sasuke..."

She closed her eyes and rested her head on her pillow. Kakashi blinked in surprise before darting out the door.

* * *

**Otogakure**

Akira walked out of Orochimaru's hideout. She was exhausted from her last missions and needed some fresh air. As she headed over to a large hill, she noticed someone else sitting there.

"Sasuke-san..."

Sasuke looked over his shoulder at her. He nodded to her in acknowledgement before turning away. Akira sighed and sat next to him. He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes.

Three years ago, she had joined Orochimaru. At first, Sasuke wasn't pleased with it. After awhile, though, he had taken a liking to her. He looked away.

"What's it like..." She whispered.

"What?" He looked back at her.

"I was just wondering what it's like... y'know..." She looked at him. "Being you..."

"You mean being the last of my clan besides my older brother?"

"Yeah..."

"It sure ain't fun, that's for sure..." Sasuke growled. His façade became sorrowful. Sasuke looked away. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be betrayed by someone you love?"

"Yeah... I do." He looked at her. "Kai-Linn left for the Akatsuki without hesitation. She betrayed Konoha... Kijo... and me." She looked up at the night sky. "The entire reason I looked for Orochimaru was for one reason... I wanted the power to get Kai-Linn back..."

"You and I are different when it comes to objectives... You want to save someone while I want to kill someone..."

"Not entirely true... I want to destroy Akatsuki once and for all..." Tears built up in Akira's eyes.

"Point made... but... my brother betrayed me without a second thought... by killing our clan, he destroyed my ability to trust. I didn't have friends growing up because I was afraid they'd eventually betray me... like Itachi did..."

Sasuke blinked when Akira shifted. She now sat behind him, arms wrapped around him. He looked back at her.

"I would never betray you..." She whispered. "Even if you don't count me as a friend... even if you see me only as an obstacle... I want to be by your side as long as I can."

"Akira..." Sasuke shifted so he could hold her. "You are the only one I can trust... you are more than a friend to me... much more."

Akira buried her face in his chest. Sasuke stroked her hair. He leaned down to her ear.

"I want to tell you a plan of mine..."

* * *

**With Akatsuki**

* * *

The Akatsuki ran through a dense forest. Konan was on Pein's back, still not awake. Itachi and Kai-Linn ran side by side, as did Zetsu and Kisame and Deidara and Tobi. They were heading to a town close to the Hidden Grass Village. Eventually the moon was high, and they could barely see 10 feet in front of them. Kai-Linn spotted something of interest.

"Over there..." She pointed toward a small town. "We can rest there."

"Is it safe?" Pein hissed.

"There's barely anyone living there nowadays... and one of my friends runs a hotel there." She explained.

Everyone looked at Pein. He gave a curt nod. The Akatsuki darted toward the town. As they landed in the town, Itachi realized what Kai-Linn meant. Most of the buildings were abandoned and boarded up. There were a few stores, but the lights were out.

Kai-Linn walked down the street and to a large hotel. They hesitantly followed her in. There was no one at the front desk. Kai-Linn held up a hand to the others before walking a bit down the hall.

"Kai-chan!" A girl with short chocolate brown hair stepped out of a doorway. She wore a sleeveless kimono top and pants. "It has been too long..."

"Kioma-chan!" Kai-Linn hugged the girl. "It's been what? A year?"

"I haven't kept track..." The brunette noticed the other people. "Who are they?"

"Um... I'll explain later..."

"Alright" She walked back into the doorway she came in from. "C'mon, I'll get you guys something to eat."

Kai-Linn motioned to the Akatsuki and they followed her into a small restaurant style room. The Akatsuki sat down at a group of tables. Kai-Linn sat at an empty table nearby, resting her head on her hand.

After a few minutes, Kioma walked into the room with a large tray of food. Placing it in front of the Akatsuki, she went back into the kitchen and came back with glasses and bottles of sakè.

"Here... try this."

Kai-Linn looked up as Kioma placed a plate in front of her. The plate had a food that Kai-Linn had never seen before. She looked up at Kioma with a raised brow.

"A traveler taught me how to make this. It's called a cheese-burger..." Kioma explained.

Kai-Linn picked up the cheeseburger and bit into it. Her eyes lit up and she looked up at Kioma. Giving a smile, Kioma sat across from Kai-Linn.

"Soooo... who are the others?"

Kioma was looking over her shoulder at the others. Kisame was drunk and was slinging his arms around Deidara. The blonde shifted slightly, making Kisame lose his balance, so he started to flail his arms. Pein held Konan a safe distance away from Kisame, her head resting his shoulder. Zetsu had left earlier for 'reconnaissance'. When Kai-Linn met eyes with Itachi, she looked back to her burger.

"The blonde is Deidara, the one in the mask is Tobi, the shark face is Kisame, the blue-haired one is Konan and the one next to her is our leader, Pein."

"More importantly, who is that black haired one?"

"He's... Uchiha Itachi." Kai-Linn replied skeptically.

"Well, he's quite handsome, I'll give him that." Kioma gave a big smile. "You and he make a wonderful couple."

"A-Arigatou ne..." Kai-Linn stammered, her cheeks flushing a light pink. "Anyway, have you checked the rooms?"

"I wanted to tell you alone." Kioma gave a nervous laugh. "About a month ago, our village was raided by bandits and the bandits attack the hotel... and the upper rooms were set on fire... and, um..."

"What happened after that?" Kai-Linn said with a worried tone.

"Only the second and first floor was untouched by the fire. As you know, the second floor has only five rooms... well, the rooms..."

_Please say there are two beds in each room... please_... Kai-Linn prayed silently.

"They're the rooms with only one bed..."

"Oh... boy..." Was all Kai-Linn could say.

* * *

finally put some Akira**X**Sasuke in here .

Ok, the upcoming chapters will be the prep and start of the war... Kioma might join the fight but i don't know if i should make her a Shinobi...

R&R plz .

DemonVampire13


	5. Another Night

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 5

Another Night

* * *

Kai-Linn placed her head on the table, so hard that it shook. Kioma blinked and looked at her friend. Itachi glanced over his shoulder at Kai-Linn, who looked quite stressed. He stood and walked over. As he placed his hand on her shoulder, she nearly jumped to the ceiling.

"What's wrong?" He mused.

"Nothing..." Kai-Linn placed her head back on the table.

Itachi shot a look at Kioma.

"All I said was that the five empty rooms have only one bed... then she started to freak out!" Kioma explained nervously.

"Is that all?" Itachi turned to Kai-Linn. She slowly nodded. "We'll figure something out..."

"What we'll do is Deidara and Tobi will share one room, Kisame and Zetsu by themselves, me and Konan, then you and Kai-Linn will share a room. This won't change until we find a suitable place for a new base."

Kioma was the one who jumped as she realized that Pein was standing behind her. Kisame was passed out on the table and Tobi had fallen asleep on Deidara.

"Whaaa?!" Kai-Linn sat up and looked at Pein. "M-Me and I-Itachi... i-in the same room... w-with only one bed?!"

"I trust you two will behave."

Kai-Linn felt her face grow hot. Frankly, she didn't know if it was of anger or embarrassment. It was pretty much both.

"I guess that works... see Kai-chan? Everything worked out just fine." Kioma gave a wide grin.

Kai-Linn suddenly got the urge to strangle both Pein and Kioma...

* * *

Around midnight, Kioma decided that she was going to bed. The Akatsuki thought of that as a good idea and went up to their rooms. Kai-Linn stayed in the dark restaurant for a moment before sighing heavily and heading up to her room. Giving a big yawn, she walked in...

To see Itachi clad only in a bath towel.

Kai-Linn felt her face go bright red. Itachi had his back to her and he didn't seem to notice her come in. She knew he had taken a shower because water was still trailing down his body. She opened her mouth to greet him, but her words caught in her throat.

He turned around.

Her face became brighter. The towel was just barely resting on his hips. He stared at her momentarily before bringing his hands to the towel around his waist. She blinked for a moment, too shocked to move. He stopped and looked over at her skeptically.

"Close the door, Kai-Linn..."

Kai-Linn came out of her trance. She closed the door, but kept her back to him. The sound of clothes rustling made her keep her back turned until she heard the bed squeak quietly. When she looked at him, he was wearing just pants, lying on the bed. She ran her emerald eyes over his slender yet strong features before he spoke.

"You going to sleep on the bed or are you going to stand there all night 'examining' me?" He asked, emphasizing "examining".

Her cheeks flushed a light pink. She shook her head for a moment before walking over and crawling into the bed. The bed was small but large enough for both of them to fit on it.

Closing her eyes, she sighed and started to go to sleep when she felt Itachi wrap his arms around her waist. Her cheeks became red again as he buried his face in her hair. She struggled against his hold for a moment but stopped as his grip tightened. Sighing in defeat, she curled against him. They both soon fell asleep.

* * *

Sasuke looked over his shoulder as Akira walked up to him. Orochimaru's body lay in front of him. Akira had a few scratches on her body, but she looked fine otherwise. She was dragging Kabuto's corpse behind her.

"We don't have any followers, Sasuke-san..." Akira threw Kabuto next to Orochimaru.

"It doesn't matter... we'll find some soon enough." Sasuke spat.

Akira nodded. Sasuke sheathed Kusanagi before turning on his heel and walking away. Giving one last glance at the massacre, Akira shook her head before following Sasuke.

Later on, they had stopped in a small clearing to rest. They had a small fire going and it was very silent. Akira looked up at Sasuke.

"Um... Sasuke-san?" She mused.

"What is it?" He said curtly.

"What do we do about the war Orochimaru was planning?"

"We'll go through with it..." He said curtly. "We'll send word to Konoha and Akatsuki that Orochimaru is dead and they will be with war with us..."

"But they'll outnumber us!" She cried.

"We'll act like we still work for that snake... until we have enough allies, we will be part of Oto."

"With your Sharingan, it shouldn't take that long..."

Sasuke nodded. Akira kept her eyes on Sasuke. He looked exhausted, dark lines under his eyes. She gave a small smile at him. She walked over and sat next to him.

"You should rest... I'll keep watch tonight." She told him.

Sasuke nodded and rested his head on her shoulder. She smiled lightly before looking over at the fire, watching the dancing flames.

* * *

\/Author's Note/\

**Important Notice:**

I'm lookin' for ninjas for Sasuke and Akira's side! If you have an original character and you want it to be used, post the thing below in a review with what your character's like.. my friend's character, Crystal, will be joining their side, but more nin's are wanted/needed

Name:

Age:

Appearance:

Personality:

Rank:

Weapon:

Village:

Miscellaneous:

R&R

\/DemonVampire/\


	6. New Recruits Part 1

Thank you K94evur for your Shinobi profile :D it shall not be wasted

Thank you everyone for your Shinobi profiles :D they shall not be wasted lol

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 6

New Recruits

Part 1

Akira and Sasuke were heading into Hidden Waterfall village area. They were going to search the Hidden Waterfall, Hidden Grass, and Hidden Rain areas for recruits.

During their search, they had come across an Otogakure Jônin named Kyuuketsuki Hikari. Sasuke worked with Hikari once on a mission. He knew her power and decided to recruit her.

Soon, night came. Hikari was resting against a tree, a light wind brushing her silver-tipped, navy hair across her face. Akira was scouting around the area. Sasuke got up and left the area. He came across a river and waterfall. He sat on a rock, giving a big sigh. He looked up at the full moon. He smirked.

Suddenly, someone jumped from above the waterfall, a silhouette against the moon. They landed on the water's surface, giving a cattish grin. It was Akira. Her eyes seemed to glow in the faint moonlight.

"Done scouting the area?" Sasuke smirked.

"Yea..." She smiled. "I've got a new recruit! I've tested him and I personally think he's good enough." Akira let out a shrill whistle.

A male appeared on a rock in the middle of the river. He had black hair that stuck out a bit, right dark green eye covered by a bang. He wore a loose fitting black shirt and gray pants. Two bells hung from the hilt of a katana on his back.

"This is Kokuei Kenji" Akira said, gesturing toward the boy.

Sasuke raised a brow at him. Kenji jumped to the shore before looking over at Sasuke. Sasuke stood up.

"Akira... head back to camp..." Sasuke commanded.

"Try not to kill him like you did the last one, alright? Remember; we have a war to fight..." She told him as she passed him. "We can't afford to lose any more recruits..."

Sasuke unsheathed Kusanagi. "Now I've gotta test you..." Sasuke informed Kenji. "I won't go easy on you."

"Heh... same here" Kenji took out his katana. "I'm stronger than I look, Uchiha kid..."

Sasuke gave a small smirk before charging toward Kenji. Kenji jumped away and went to strike Sasuke in the shoulder. Sasuke blocked with Kusanagi. Sasuke pushed against Kenji's blade, pushing him toward the river. Kenji stumbled when his foot slipped off the shore.

Sasuke struck out at Kenji's side. Kenji winced for a quick moment before jumping over Sasuke and slicing into Sasuke's arm. They jumped away from one another.

They exchanged blows for awhile before Sasuke sheathed Kusanagi. Kenji raised a brow.

"Giving up already, chicken-ass?" Kenji growled teasingly.

Sasuke glared before doing a string of handsigns. He thrust his hand out to the side. Kenji tensed. Soon, chakra started forming in Sasuke's hand.

"Chidori!**(1)**" Sasuke cried.

Kenji blinked in surprise as a streak of lightning came toward him. He jumped up into the air to dodge. Once he landed, Sasuke lunged at him. Kenji did a few handsigns before taking in a large amount of breath.

"Dokugiri!**(2)**" Kenji said.

Poison mist spewed from his mouth. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He took a quick breath before the mist enshrouded him. The mist was thick. He could barely see the Chidori.

He started to run out of breath. He took a wild guess and thrust his arm forward in an attempt to strike Kenji. A pained cry sounded from outside the mist. Sasuke jumped out of the poison.

The mist dissipated. Kenji held his shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers. Sasuke fell to one knee, coughing hoarsely. '_Damn... I inhaled some..._'. His body was starting to go numb. Kenji raised his katana and went to attack...

"Stop..." A firm hand grabbed Kenji's wrist. Hikari looked up at Kenji with blue-gray eyes.

"Enough, you two!" Akira cried, stepping out of the bushes. "Hikari, take care of Kenji."

Hikari nodded. She pushed down on his good shoulder. He sat on a nearby rock. Placing a hand on his shoulder then on his side, she started to heal him.

Akira bent down to Sasuke's side. She placed a hand on his chest, attempting to draw the poison out of his system. She pulled her hand away, poison floating in her chakra filled palm. She let it fall before placing her hand back on his chest, removing the last of the poison.

"Well? What do you think?" She asked him after awhile.

"Heh... he's good enough..." Sasuke said, giving a small cough.

Akira nodded. She went to heal his arm but he held out a dismissive hand. She smiled and helped him up. Kenji looked at the two of them.

"Still wanna fight with us?" Akira asked.

"Yeah, why not..." Kenji shrugged. "I hope to have a rematch when this is over, Uchiha-san..."

Sasuke gave a lewd smirk. "You got it."

Hikari walked back to the campsite. Kenji followed her. Akira looked at Sasuke who seemed a bit dazed, staring off into the distance. She walked up from behind and looked over his shoulder at his face.

"C'mon. Let's go" She said, poking him in the forehead.

Sasuke flinched. He grabbed her wrist and faced her, his eyes narrowed. "Don't do that..." He growled.

"What?" She paused. "Oh... sorry. I forgot that _he_ used to do that."

Sasuke shook his head. He turned on his heel and headed towards the camp. Akira stood where he had just been and tried to find what Sasuke was looking at. She didn't see anything of interest so she soon followed after Sasuke.

Little did they know that from a tree on top of the waterfall's cliff, a shadow watched the four figures with blood red eyes. A small smirk formed on the person's lips when he spotted Sasuke.

"So you're our opponent... little brother..."

_Jutsus used in chapter:_

**(1) Chidori (lit. Thousand Birds): **The user concentrates a huge amount of Chakra in one arm, then gets a long, running start at their target, allowing them to deliver a fast, lunging attack of unparalleled power. A technique invented by Kakashi, who teaches it to Sasuke

**(2) Dokugiri (lit. Poison Mist): **The user's Chakra is transformed into poison, which is sprayed from the mouth in a fine mist

\/Author's Note/\

kinda late on the update :'( and the next chapter might not come as soon as my other chapters have in the past... visiting family members who don't have internet srry ppl T.T R&R

\/DemonVampire13/\


	7. New Recruits Part 2

here's the Akatsuki part of the 'New Recruits' title! i tried to make it a bit longer that the last one... enjoy

Kuran No Kiri Chapter 7

New Recruits

Part 2

Kai-Linn looked out of her bedroom window. Rain was pouring down from a dark blue-gray sky, lighting streaking through the clouds. She silently hoped Itachi wasn't caught up in the storm. He had left two days ago on a private mission. She tapped her foot impatiently.

The temple was pretty old. They had to resort to using candles and torches for lighting. On the outside, it seemed like it was a one room shrine, but it had quite a few rooms on the upper level. In the catacombs below were so many rooms and secret passage ways. Kai-Linn explored the tunnels and had lost count of how many rooms and passageways she found. After about two days worth of investigating, she learned that the tunnels spread out to secluded areas in the Land of Wind, Fire, and Earth.

Kai-Linn sighed. She slipped off her bed and walked out of her room. As she stepped out, she saw Deidara peeking out of his room. She raised a brow.

"Deidara? What's wro—"

The door slammed close.

Kai-Linn immediately got curious. She masked her chakra and headed toward his room. She pressed her ear against the door gently.

"_What the hell are you doing here, hmmm?!_" Deidara hissed. "_How did you find us?!_"

"_It doesn't matter... where is he, Deidara?_" A female voice replied. Kai-Linn raised a suspicious brow.

"_He's not here, alright?! He left like, two days ago, hmmm!_"

"Deidara, what's going on?" Kai-Linn asked as she opened the door.

Kai-Linn blinked. There was a woman sitting on Deidara's windowsill, with a small pout lining her lips. Her silver hair was tied up into two ponytails. Her eyes were a dark red color. She wore a short sleeved kimono with fishnet on her arms and legs. Two fans were strapped onto her waist.

"Who's this cute little thing, Deidara-chan?" The woman crooned, inclining her head toward Kai-Linn.

"Mikori, this is Kagemara Kai-Linn." Deidara replied with a small glare.

"Kagemara?" Mikori repeated. "So you're Rorona's girl... you look just like your mother."

"You knew my mom?" Kai-Linn gasped.

"Yeah... there's about fifteen years between us, but we were still the best of friends. When she left the village, I left the village. We joined the Akatsuki during the begginning of it all... but when she died, I left the Akatsuki for life as a rogue, no village or accomplices." Mikori gave a small smirk. "Except for Uchiha Itachi... we're very close."

Kai-Linn's eyes narrowed at Mikori. She had never heard of this Mikori woman before... was she telling the truth?

"Kai-chan, can I talk to you in private?" Mikori asked sweetly.

Kai-Linn looked over at Deidara. He nodded and left the room. Kai-Linn sat down on a chair, eyes never leaving Mikori. The silver haired woman slipped off the windowsill and walked over to Kai-Linn.

"How old are you, Kai-chan? I just have to know."

"Uh... I'm 19..." Kai-Linn replied hesitantly. "Why?"

"Listen to me." Mikori growled. "I've known Itachi for my entire life... you've only known him for what? Ten years?! I know what he likes and what he hates, and if it's one thing, it's a sniveling little kunoichi that can't defend herself and looks to him for consolation."

Kai-Linn glared. "What are you getting at, Mikori?"

"Itachi and I have had something for quite sometime... I'm not about to let you get in the way of it... so do yourself a favor and give up on him. He's not interested in you. You're just an obstacle." She gave a cruel smirk. "No one in the Akatsuki cares for you... you're just a tool that will eventually be thrown away like your mother was..."

"Shut up!" Kai-Linn cried, standing up. "My mother left the Akatsuki of her own free will!!"

"Hah! Is that what everyone told you?" Mikori smirked. She pushed Kai-Linn back down to the chair. "Your mother escaped the Akatsuki... Pein knew, but he had a plan. Once you were born, we would kill Rorona and take you to train you. But Orochimaru beat us to it... it's obvious."

Mikori trailed a hand over Kai-Linn's collarbone, pressing down on the curse mark. Kai-Linn flinched. Kai-Linn pushed Mikori's hand away, standing up.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Kai-Linn growled.

"Kai-chan... Kagemara Rorona is someone I wouldn't lie about..."

Mikori smiled. Kai-Linn shook her head in disbelief before jumping out one of the open windows. Mikori gave a small chuckle as Deidara walked in. The blonde surveyed the room.

"Where'd Kai-Linn go?" He asked worriedly.

"She went out for a stroll..." Mikori chuckled. "Probably won't be back for awhile..."

"Well, go find her, _hmmm_!" Deidara growled. "We all don't want to deal with a pissy Itachi if Kai-Linn's gone when he gets back!"

"Fine..." Mikori jumped out the window.

* * *

Thunder shot across the sky, relighting the dark forest for a moment. Kai-Linn didn't let her break her run. Shaking water from her hair, she sprinted farther into the forest.

'_If it's one thing, it's a sniveling little kunoichi that can't defend herself and looks to him for consolation_'

Kai-Linn cried out as a root caught her foot. She tripped, tumbling down a hill. She got up quickly, walking on. She jumped back when her foot came in contact with a cold puddle. Lighting flashed, revealing a large lake.

"Hmph... I knew I'd find you"

Kai-Linn spun around as Mikori stepped out in the front of her. Kai-Linn tensed, activating her Tsukigan. She took a step forward.

"I'd rather be alone, Mikori."

Mikori took a fan out and tapped it against it against her chin. Kai-Linn watched silently as Mikori walked on the shore. The rain soon disappeared. Kai-Linn blinked away her Tsukigan, since there seemed to be not imminent threat.

"Why'd you follow me?" Kai-Linn hissed.

Mikori flipped open her fan toward Kai-Linn, murmuring a wind jutsu under her breath. Kai-Linn jumped away from the strong gust. Mikori chuckled, a small flash of lighting making her eyes seem to glow red.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Kai-Linn glared, the Tsukigan once again seeping into her eyes. Mikori charged, taking out her other fan. Kunai knives shot out of the tips of the fan. Kai-Linn ducked away from a few, the rest slicing her arms and her side. Giving a low hiss, she clearly pictured the handsigns for a Fire jutsu in her head. Taking a deep breath, fire exploded out of her mouth.

"Katon: Karyu Endan** (1)**!"

Mikori ran on the borderline of the forest, the flames licking at her heels. Kai-Linn stopped the attack when Mikori flipped a strong wind her way again. She jumped toward the sea of flames that flickered on the edge of the forest then away as another gust headed toward her.

Kai-Linn started to prepare an Earth jutsu using the Tsukigan when her vision blurred. She hissed in pain, crying out as an invisible gust struck her toward the water's edge. Kai-Linn stood up, glaring at Mikori.

Mikori suddenly disappeared from Kai-Linn's vision.

The silver haired woman appeared in front of Kai-Linn, striking a deep slash on the younger girl's torso. Kai-Linn gave a choked cry, blood slipping to the ground. Kai-Linn collapsed to her knees. The Tsukigan disappeared from her eyes. The raging fire behind Mikori seemed like a huge blur to her.

"I have to admit..." Mikori smiled. "You're not that bad! And that Tsukigan is formidable."

Grabbing a fistful of Kai-Linn's hair, she brought the kunai to the younger Kunoichi's neck. She pressed it closer a trail of blood slipping down her neck.

Mikori suddenly jumped away.

Kai-Linn blinked, looking up. A hooded figure stood in front of Kai-Linn. A thin, black blade was in the figure's hands. Multiple expressions flashed across Mikori's face; confusion, shock, disbelief, happiness, then finally, rage.

"How?! How are you still alive?!" Mikori cried.

"I will not explain myself to one who threatens her life..." A female voice replied from under the cloak. She pointed the sword at Mikori. "Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu** (2)**."

Pale moonlight shined through the clouds. As it did, lake water rose over Kai-Linn and the stranger, falling on the fire and Mikori. Mikori jumped out of the way in time, landing in a low crouch. The cloaked woman lunged at Mikori. Kai-Linn gasped silently as the sword seemed to liquefy into a shadow and dart a Mikori. The silver haired Kunoichi jumped into the trees, her laughter echoing from the darkness.

"I see you still wield the Kage-tô, the Shadow Sword... come after me if you dare, my friend..." Mikori's voice trailed off.

Kai-Linn staggered to her feet. She looked at the woman skeptically. The cloaked stranger turned to face Kai-Linn.

"Who are you? Why'd you save me?" Kai-Linn asked quietly.

The woman didn't answer. She turned back toward the forest. She then disappeared into the trees. Giving an exasperated sigh, Kai-Linn turned away.

Kai-Linn walked over to the water, washing off her neck. Then she started to heal her wounds. Once the bleeding had stopped, she sat down on the sand, watching the moonlight dance on the water.

"Here you are..."

Kai-Linn jumped as Itachi spoke from behind her. She looked up at him then turned back to the lake. She scowled inwardly, but kept her face impassive. Itachi sat down next to her.

"You know Mikori?" She asked tersely.

"Hai..." He answered with a sigh.

"Is she... important to you?" Kai-Linn pressed hesitantly.

"Are you jealous?" Itachi asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

"No I'm not!" Kai-Linn snapped. Itachi's smile disappeared, making her look away. "I want to know who she is to you... if what she said is true then... I won't—"

Itachi pushed Kai-Linn to the ground. He placed his hands on the side of her shoulders. His red eyes stared down at her wide, green ones. He brushed his lips against her cheek. He smiled when he felt her cheek become hot.

"Her love for me is not something I return equally... she is more of a sister to me than a lover." He hissed against her skin. "What she said is her own way of reassuring herself."

"Do you hate me? Am I... an obstacle to you...?" She whispered. Itachi raised his head to look at her again. She looked away, holding back tears. The silence made her wonder if he would lie to her... if he was thinking of an excuse to make her feel better. A stray tear slipped down her cheek. "Don't lie to me, Itachi-san..."

"I do not think of you as an obstacle," Itachi finally said. "You... are my reason to live. I would give my life to protect you." He made her face him. "I'm saying this from the bottom of my heart, Kai-chan..."

Another tear streamed down Kai-Linn's face. He brushed it away with his thumb. She looked up at him, giving a small smile. His eyes wandered down to that smile.

He brushed his lips against hers.

Kai-Linn let out a quiet gasp. Itachi smirked inwardly, biting on her lower lip. She gasped more loudly this time. He ran his hands down to her sides, reaching under her and bringing her closer to his body. Warmth radiated from under her wet clothes, a warmth he was dying to touch. He pulled away.

"It... I-Itachi..." She whispered.

"Let's go back..." He whispered back, kissing her forehead once before standing up.

* * *

_Jutsus used in chapter:_

**(1) Katon: Karyu Endan (lit. Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet): **An extremely powerful Fire Release jutsu. Fire is used to attack an opponent. Because its flame is manipulated by chakra, it is difficult to dodge.

**(2) Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu (lit. Water Release: Great Waterfall): **A great mass of water rises up and plunges down like a waterfall. It is powerful enough to gouge out the ground, making the area around it look like it suffered from a natural disaster.


	8. Who is

this chapter has more explanation than anything else... some things finally revealed, some that you might not expect (snicker) enjoy the chapter

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 8

Who Is...

Kai-Linn was back in her room, lying on her bed. When her thoughts wandered to what happened with Itachi the other night, her face flushed. The feeling of his mouth over hers... the words of love he had spoken...

Her thoughts were disrupted by an unfamiliar chakra signature. She jumped to her feet when a cloaked figure slipped into her room. Kai-Linn drew a kunai, going into a defensive position. The stranger glanced at her.

"So... this is where you are..." The woman whispered.

"Who are you?!" Kai-Linn asked.

The woman pulled out a small book, throwing it at Kai-Linn. Kai-Linn caught it, glancing down at it. 'Kagemara Rorona' was written on the spine. Kai-Linn glanced back toward the figure.

"What's this for?"

"For all your unanswered questions... but you can't let anyone know you have it." The woman replied with a hidden smile

"Who _are_ you?!" Kai-Linn cried.

"Someone from your past, yet someone you don't know..."

Kai-Linn's eyes narrowed as the woman disappeared. The shadow's seemed to quiver as she vanished. Kai-Linn threw the book onto her bed before slipping the kunai away.

"Kai-chan?" A voice came from the doorway.

"Yes, Tobi?" She spun around to face him.

"Uh... Pein-sama wanted everyone to know that Mikori is being recruited soon to take Kakuzu's place." Tobi held out her old Akatsuki ring. She took it. "Since nobody's been recruited since your 'disappearance' you technically never left. Also Pein-sama is recruiting Kioma-chan as an outside scout."

Kai-Linn blinked at the last part but nodded nonetheless. Tobi waved before leaving. Once she didn't sense him or anyone else nearby, she grabbed the book. '_Joy... working with Mikori... what fun..._' She hissed inwardly.

Opening a trap door underneath a tatami mat, she went down into the catacombs. After a few passageways, she was in the library. Konan was sitting at a table with books scattered around her. Green eyes met green when Konan looked up.

"Glad to see you're okay, Kai-Linn." Konan chuckled. "I know how ruthless Mikori can be in a fight."

"Um... Konan..." Kai-Linn bit her lower lip.

"What is it?"

"Someone just showed up in my room... she gave me this."

Kai-Linn tossed the book onto the table. Konan put down the book she was reading to look at the one on the table. Her eyes narrowed.

"Who gave this to you?" Konan asked.

"I don't know, but I think it's the person who stopped Mikori from killing me..."

Konan handed the book back to Kai-Linn. "When your mother left the Akatsuki, she took her records with her... whoever gave you these probably were given the records before your mother died."

Kai-Linn leaned over the table, opening the book. "Might as well read up on her while I can."

The first few pages were basic records; medical records, mission records, even report cards from her academy days. Kai-Linn picked up the small book and started to pace around the library.

* * *

_Kagemara Rorona was the last of the Kagemara Clan at the young age of 5. At age 8, she became the youngest Kagemara to have the Tsukigan (the Kekkei Genkai of the Kagemara clan) in the history. At age 10, she became a Jônin._

* * *

The next few pages were descriptions of the missions she went on until age 15. Then it got into details of her days with Akatsuki.

* * *

_At age 15, Kagemara Rorona became a Ronin. Possibly an effect of going after Akatsuki the month before her defection. Uchiha Fugaku, Aburame Gen, and Inuzuka Tsume sent to retrieve Rorona. Fugaku, Gen, and Tsume retreated with serious wounds. Rorona later joined Akatsuki._

_At 17, Rorona was sent to recruit Hidan of..._

* * *

Kai-Linn sighed, skipping the next few pages. She stopped when she saw the words '_left_ ' and '_Akatsuki_ '. She stopped pacing when a chill went down her spine. Konan froze as well.

They both sensed Pein's chakra.

Kai-Linn turned toward the door as the doorknob turned. Shadows warped around her quickly. She closed her eyes as an invisible force seemed to pull on her body. When the shadows dissipated, she was gone.

Kai-Linn reappeared in her room. She slipped the book, spine first, into her book shelf by her drawing books. She fell onto her bed, thinking about the information she had learned about Rorona.

All of a sudden, Deidara ran into the room, snapping the door shut behind him. Kai-Linn looked over at him with a raised brow.

"What's up with you?" She asked.

"M-Mikori... hunting... Itachi... she nearly killed me!" He explained breathlessly.

"Oh. Wanna go somewhere else? Maybe train a little?" Kai-Linn batted her eyelashes innocently.

"Oh no. I am not training with you! Remember last time?!"

* * *

_Deidara smirked. He jumped up into the air and landed in the middle of the field. Kai-Linn focused her chakra to her hands and placed them on a patch of shadows created by the looming building. Two shadows slithered up from the ground and took the form of Kai-Linn. Itachi's eyes narrowed._

_"True Kage-bunshin..." She whispered._

_Deidara summoned a large bird and flew up into the air. The three Kai-Linn's smiled before spinning on their heels and running toward the building. They ran up the wall and lunged at Deidara. A clay bird flew at one of the Kai-Linn's. It disappeared and he cursed under his breath._

_"Now I've only got two left..." He murmured._

_Without thinking twice, he sent two clay birds toward each Kai-Linn. Upon contact, they disappeared. Deidara glared and looked around. Down on the earth, Itachi did the same. His red eyes saw a chakra signature hiding in the small grove of trees. So Kai-Linn had created a shadow clone, which made more shadow clones as she hid below. A loud cry pierced the air._

_"Katon: Karyu Endan! Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Missile!"_

_A large burst of orange, red and yellow exploded out of the trees. Deidara blinked and turned. "Too late..." Kai-Linn whispered. The flames engulfed the bird and Deidara started to fall. A shadow lashed out and caught him. He snarled and jumped off the shadow._

_She darted out of the trees, a blur to normal eyes. Deidara saw her coming and sent clay birds toward her. She stopped in her tracks and did some hand signs._

_"Doton: Doryu Heki! Earth Release: Earth Flow Rampart!" She planted her hands on the ground._

_The earth shot up and shielded Kai-Linn just as the birds almost made contact with her. The birds exploded behind the wall and it crumbled. Kai-Linn cursed. More birds shot toward her. They were smaller, made for agility. Kai-Linn back-flipped as one bird went for her feet. More came toward her. She did a few hand signs._

_"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Technique."_

_Flames blew out from her mouth, most meeting the birds' midway. A few left over headed for Deidara. He covered his face as the flames hit him. Kai-Linn pouted as he turned into a log. He appeared behind her and delivered a kick. She spun around at the last minute and blocked it. She flung him off._

_Closing her eyes, she sent two kunai at him, paper bombs wrapped around the hilt. Deidara sent two birds to intercept the kunai... but they missed, heading straight for Kai-Linn. Shadows shot up and blocked the birds. Deidara caught the kunai then realized the paper bombs too late._

_"I win..." Kai-Linn whispered, opening her eyes._

_Deidara lay on the ground, unmoving, smoke surrounding him. Kai-Linn ran over to him. She cocked her head to the side._

_"You're not dead, are you? Deidara-senpai?" She asked._

_"Nooo..." He mumbled. He coughed up smoke before standing._

* * *

"I was kinda hoping you would've forgotten..." She smiled sheepishly. "What if we just practiced Taijutsu? No offense, but you kinda need practice with close range combat."

"Fine. Lead the way."

Kai-Linn slipped out her window, followed by Deidara.

* * *

Itachi had been training in a nearby field when Mikori showed up. She had settled herself against a tree and just watched him. He got irritated because every once and awhile, she would try to start a conversation. Eventually, he started to head back to the temple.

"I forgot to tell you... Kai-Linn and Deidara went off somewhere together." Mikori smirked.

Itachi looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She was telling the truth as far as he could tell. He sighed heavily.

"Where'd they go, Mikori-san?" He asked indifferently.

"To the west. I don't know why, but they just left all of a sudden not too long ago."

Itachi gave a fleeting smirk before disappearing. As he ran west, he pondered why Kai-Linn would leave with Deidara alone. Training perhaps? Whatever the situation, he would find out soon.

* * *

Kai-Linn sat against a tree, panting. Deidara was lying not to far away, eagle spread on the ground. She chuckled. Deidara looked at her.

"You surprise me Dei-chan..." She chuckled. "You're better than I give you credit for. Your hits really pack a punch. Damn... I'm gonna have a few bruises later..." She ran a hand over her arm.

"I'll probably never be good as Itachi or that Rock Lee kid from Konoha, but I think I've got the basics down." He gave a breathless chuckle.

Kai-Linn sighed, looking up at the sky. She remembered the last time she fought against Itachi... soon shuddering after. The mission at the time came back to her.

"Hey... Deidara?"

"Yeah?" The blonde sat up, staring at her. "What's on your mind?"

"I never got to ask... who was the Hachibi Jinchurriki?"

Kai-Linn saw him tense. He gave a nervous glance to the side, biting down on his lower lip. After a moment of hesitation he sighed heavily.

"The Jinchurriki was... and still is... Bekko Akira"

* * *

\/Author's Note\/

PLOT TWIST! :D (evil laugh)


	9. Ambush

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 9

Ambush

Kai-Linn stared blankly at Deidara. She let Deidara's words set in a little before starting to shake. She quickly remembered all the missions she had been on with Akira. How could she not have realized Akira's true power, a power she let loose whenever her eyes glowed and pupils became slits. Akira... she'd been a Jinchurriki the entire time Kai-Linn had spent with her in Konoha... now, as part of the Akatsuki, Kai-Linn would have to hunt her... suck the Hachibi out of her...

_Kill her_...

Kai-Linn felt tears stream down her face. She bit her lower lip to contain the sobs building up in her chest. Clenching the grass under her hands, she struggled to compose herself. Taking deep breaths, she turned back to Deidara, who looked worrisome.

"How long... have you known... that it was inside her?" She struggled to say.

"Five or six years... after we got you back from Konoha. Konan described Akira's actions and how her eyes glowed brightly when angered. Then three years ago, we ran into her in the Land of Snow after you left. We got our proof right then and there that she was the Hachibi's Jinchurriki."

Deidara pulled down on his shirt to reveal a long scar on his left shoulder. Kai-Linn unclenched her hands and gingerly touched his shoulder. He winced for a quick moment before looking at her.

Her eyes were filled with tears. The flame that usually seemed to burn behind the green orbs was lacking. She seemed to be thinking something over, dazedly staring at his shoulder. She gave a small glance at him before standing up.

Kai-Linn spun around him, deflecting two kunai.

"Seems like we've got company..." Kai-Linn whispered, the Tsukigan lighting up her eyes.

Deidara got to his feet as six Konoha ANBU appeared around them. One appeared in front of Deidara, making him and Kai-Linn jump to the center of the six ninja. Kai-Linn pressed her back against Deidara's, going into a defensive position.

"The two of you are coming with us."

* * *

Mikori sat in a small field. She chuckled before looking toward the edge of the nearby forest. She smirked before standing. She sent a kunai toward a tree. It embedded itself in the sturdy oak with a soft thud.

"Stop hiding, friends of Oto... you can't fool me with that stupid concealment jutsu..." Mikori called into the forest.

Sasuke stepped out of the trees, followed by Akira, Hikari, and Kenji. Mikori smiled at them before resting against a tree. Akira looked around the area skeptically as did Kenji. Hikari stood at Sasuke's right, staring up at the sky.

"To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Mikori asked.

"Do you have any information about the Hachibi or its Jinchurriki?" Sasuke replied.

"The Hachibi?... heh... ha hah ha hah!" Mikori burst out laughing. Akira glared at her as did Sasuke. After the woman composed herself, she smiled at the group. "You... don't need to look for the Hachibi. You already know who they are and where they are."

"I didn't come for riddles, Mikori!" Sasuke growled.

"It's not a riddle. The Hachibi Jinchurriki..." Mikori glanced at Akira. "Is standing right beside you."

Akira flinched, looking down at the ground. Kenji and Hikari gave looks of disbelief at Mikori and Akira. Sasuke turned to Akira with a bewildered look. The blonde glanced up at him worriedly.

"She's got to be lying!" Kenji cried. "If Akira-chan was a Jinchurriki, she would've told us by now!"

"This better not be some kind of trick..." Hikari growled, slowly unsheathing the long katana on her back. "You better not be lying to us, Mikori-san..."

"If you don't believe me, why don't you ask your dear Akira-chan?! She'll tell you whether or not I'm lying or telling the truth."

All eyes turned to Akira.

Akira looked away from all the pressing glances. Mikori expression was impassive, but everyone else seemed bewildered and anxious. Clenching her hands into fists, she took a deep breath.

"She's right. I am the Hachibi Jinchurriki." She whispered.

* * *

Itachi masked his chakra as he got closer to Kai-Linn and Deidara. He stopped on a branch, invisible to the occupants of the clearing. He examined the scene quickly.

Kai-Linn and Deidara were surrounded four Konoha ANBU. Itachi had to look again to make sure it was Kai-Linn. She seemed like a different person with her hair up in a ponytail like it was. He sensed more ninja coming, probably reinforcements and replacements for the two heavily wounded ANBU hanging back toward the forest line. Deidara was passed out on the ground, Kai-Linn was almost out of chakra, the ANBU in the same state.

"It's futile to resist..." A male voice said.

"Shut up, Hyuuga Neji..." Kai-Linn hissed at the man. "I don't want to hear one of your monologues."

The one called Neji charged at Kai-Linn. He pressed two fingers against parts of her body, blocking the chakra flow. Kai-Linn cried out, staggering in pain for a moment. She coughed, bright blood coming out of her mouth. Taking a deep breath, she took out a kunai, pushing it deep into Neji's stomach. The Hyuuga hissed in pain, jumping away and removing the kunai.

Itachi had seen enough. He jumped from the tree, landing in front of Kai-Linn and Deidara. Kai-Linn looked up at him in surprise. Itachi focused his chakra into his left eye. He turned toward the wounded and, as expected, the other four ANBU jumped in front of their comrades to protect them.

"Kai-Linn... close your eyes." He ordered. He looked over his shoulder to make sure she did so. He looked back at the ANBU. "Katon Hijutsu: Amaterasu **(1)**..."

Itachi grit his teeth as an immense pain seared through his body. Black flames erupted from his left eye, snaking toward the ANBU. The only one who escaped the flames was the Hyuuga. Screams of agony rang through the air as the black flames enveloped the five ANBU.

Just as their screams stopped, Itachi made the black flames disappear. Kai-Linn looked up at him anxiously. He was shaking. She pulled on his Akatsuki cloak sleeve gently.

Suddenly he collapsed to the ground, clutching his left eye. Kai-Linn moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. She tried to move his hand, but he wouldn't budge.

"Itachi-san... what's wrong?!" She asked worriedly.

She finally managed to move his hand. She recoiled when she saw blood slipping from his eye. She stared at him in shock before placing her hand over his eye. Summoning up what little chakra she had left, green medical chakra soon enveloped her hand. She closed her eyes in concentration as her chakra delved into Itachi's eye. Once she managed to stop the bleeding, she stopped healing him.

Kai-Linn sensed more chakra from nearby. She looked around the clearing; the chakra wasn't coming from the body of the ANBUs. She looked back at Itachi...

Before they were surrounded by nine more ANBU.

She moved toward Deidara, Itachi still in her arms. Itachi glared at the new arrivals, but winced in pain. He fell unconscious in Kai-Linn's arms. One of the ANBU jumped from body to body, checking to see if any were worth saving. Kai-Linn realized it was Sakura when she saw a flash of pink hair.

"Why can't you leave us alone?!" Kai-Linn cried.

"You are S-Class criminals... we cannot simply let you be when you are in such a weakened state." Neji appeared next to Sakura, who was shaking her head toward their supposed leader.

"We are under orders to capture any S-class criminals we find." The leader explained, the voice that of a young woman.

The leader took out a scroll with the insignia of a dragon on it. Kai-Linn immediately recognized the scroll as a Kairaiyose **(2)** scroll. She looked straight at the leader, wondering if it was who she thought it was. Kai-Linn swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

"Kijo... is that you?" Kai-Linn mused.

The leader stopped her sign weaving. She looked at Kai-Linn, her mask hiding her surprise. Kai-Linn slowly removed her hair tie, letting her auburn black hair fall to her forearms. Kijo shook her head once.

"Kai-Linn?" Kijo stared in disbelief.

Neji started mumbling something to the other ANBU. Each ANBU that he whispered to nodded, and started to move into a tighter circle. Kijo glanced at the others. The other ANBU started to weave the similar seals. Kai-Linn noticed that it was a water jutsu. Surely they wouldn't be able to pull it off without any water nearby.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu! **(3)**" They cried.

"No... cease your attack!" Kijo ordered, but no one listened.

Dragons of water appeared around the eight ANBU casting the jutsu. Kai-Linn stared at each dragon before looking at Itachi and Deidara. Neither would be able to defend themselves. Kai-Linn focused on any remaining chakra, drawing it out. A stabbing pain came from her collarbone. She cried out, clutching the Curse Mark. She felt a burning spreading on her body. Small black flame-like marks started to spread on her body. The water dragons' shot toward her. Shadow's burst from under her, striking at the dragons. Two dragons headed toward Deidara ant Itachi. She turned toward them, her eyes wide.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!!" Kai-Linn roared.

Shadows enveloped Itachi and Deidara. When the shadows disappeared, so had Itachi and Deidara. Kai-Linn let out a breath of relief. The marks receded from her body. Her vision blurred before she collapsed on the ground, unconscious. Kijo stepped forward from the group of ANBU. She took out rope and tied Kai-Linn's hand behind her back, wrists touching. She stood up and looked at the others.

"Take care of the bodies then return back to the village. Hyuuga, Haruno, and I shall deliver Kagemara to Hokage-sama." Kijo ordered. "Go."

The remaining six ANBU went to deal with their comrades' bodies. Sakura and Neji followed Kijo as the older woman darted into the forest, Kai-Linn in arms. Kijo looked down at Kai-Linn, holding the younger girl tighter to her body.

* * *

Kai-Linn's eyes fluttered open. She was in a hospital bed. She sat up quickly, soon regretting doing so. Pain shot through her body making her fall back on the bed. She took deep breaths before sitting up, slowly this time. She looked around the room she was in.

It was a solitary hospital room, with a giant window taking up one of the walls. Two people were on the other side of the door... probably guards. But where was she? She got to her feet and looked out the window. A morning-mist covered Konoha stretched out in front of her. The sun was just barely appearing over the gates.

"Back here again... damn." She grumbled, sitting on the windowsill.

Resting her head on the window, she thought of what happened the last time she had been here. She was one of the best ANBU in Konoha at the time when, not exactly as promised, Itachi brought the Akatsuki to take her back...

Kai-Linn stiffened. What had happened to Itachi? Deidara? Where they safe or did the ANBU find them and apprehend them? Or did they...

Kai-Linn shook the thought from her head.

She stared out the window, seeing a few early birds bustling in the streets below. She smiled when she saw steam coming from Ichiraku Ramen. She clenched her fists. She was getting too comfortable than she should be. She stood up again and ran a hand through her hair. Pein had said that Oto, Konoha, and Akatsuki were at war... had the war not started yet? Or was it only in the begginning stages? She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard heels clicking against the hospital's linoleum floors outside. Tsunade came into her room followed by Kijo.

"Look who's up." Tsunade observed.

Kai-Linn remained quiet. She gave a quick glance to Kijo before looking away. She saw Tsunade clench and unclench her hands, attempting to control her anger. Kai-Linn smirked, resting against the wall boredly. Tsunade shook her head before walking toward Kai-Linn.

"I have a proposition for you, Kagemara... one I hope you don't refuse." Tsunade explained.

Kai-Linn arched a brow curiously, the smirk disappearing from her face.

"As I'm sure you know, what probably be classified as another Great Ninja War might ensue soon. We want you to fight against Otogakure with us. If you do, you can come back here and live your life like you did before the Akatsuki took you."

Kai-Linn's eyes narrowed. "What happens if I refuse to help you? What if I try to escape back to Akatsuki?"

"Well..." Tsunade growled. "You'll either be locked up for the rest of your life or you'll be executed. Take your pick."

"Haven't you given it a thought that the Akatsuki might get involved in this? Or do you think the supposed 'envoy' from Otogakure that destroyed our base was simply telling us to watch a great show as two of our enemies destroy each other in a war?" Kai-Linn mused.

Tsunade seemed stunned at that fact. She waved a dismissive hand. "Until you make your decision, we'll lock you up for about thirty days. If you haven't decided after that, you will live here with Kijo. ANBU will keep a close eye on you and you will not have any missions or rank, got it?"

Kai-Linn smiled gently at Tsunade. "Of course, Hokage-sama." She replied with fake enthusiasm.

Tsunade growled before nodding. She motioned for Kai-Linn to follow as she strode out of the room. Kai-Linn walked quietly behind them, keeping her head down. She glanced hesitantly at Kijo, but immediately regretted it. Kijo had a grim expression, making Kai-Linn shiver and look away.

Once they got to the holding cells below the Hokage tower, Kijo tied Kai-Linn's hands in front of her. It was odd to tie a ninja's hand in front of the body, but the situation was different this time. Useful and calculating in its design, the restraint was obviously meant for ninja because it bound the hands back to back. Leather straps crisscrossed over the wrists keeping them immobile. There was no way to do any sort of jutsu in this device.

Kai-Linn went into her cell and sat against a cold stone wall. She took in her surrounding. Toilet, sink, bed with rolled up bed spread... eh, it would do. A small torch was on the wall above her. She looked over at the wooden door that Kijo was positioned outside of. There was a small window and a small slot at the bottom for pushing food through. Kai-Linn scoffed to herself.

It would be a long 30 days...

* * *

**With Akatsuki...**

* * *

Itachi awoke back in the temple. He sat up from the tatami mat, his head pounding. Deidara lay not too far away, still unconscious. He got to his feet, looking around the room. He didn't sense Kai-Linn. He closed his eyes and expanded his senses. She wasn't in the temple or the catacombs.

"Nh... what happened?" Deidara sat up, holding his head. "I remember training with Kai-Linn, then we were surrounded by Konoha ANBU. I was fighting that Hyuuga kid... then everything went black..."

Itachi shook his head. He stormed out of the room and outside. Once he was in the courtyard, he stopped. A cloaked figure stood in front of him, her chakra masked. Itachi tensed, kunai in hand.

"Hmph... same reaction, everywhere I go... no matter what, you're as uptight as ever, Weasel-kun." The woman sighed heavily.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. The woman took two steps forward then appeared in front of him. Itachi recoiled as the woman's hand wrapped around his kunai hand. She took the knife out of his hand.

"Tsk... Tsk. You've gotten slower since the last I saw you." The woman chuckled, stepping back as she twirled the kunai in her hand.

A strong wind pushed the hood off of the woman's head. Itachi blinked, surprise lining his expression. The woman had snow white hair and tan skin. She looked over at him with sage green eyes. She smiled gently at him.

"Do you finally recognize me, Little Weasel-kun?" She asked fondly.

"You... How are you still alive?" Itachi replied.

"Y'know, Mikori-san said the same thing. Though her reaction was a bit more... animated." The woman giggled.

"Why are you here?"

"Will you call me by my first name, please?!" Her tone became serious. "I'm here... To exact my revenge against the man who tried to kill me and took my child... and the organization that threatened both her life and my own."

"You're very strange..." Itachi scoffed. She looked at him with a raised brow.

_Rorona..._

* * *

_Jutsus used in chapter:_

**(1) Katon Hijutsu: Amaterasu (lit. Fire Release Secret Technique: Heavenly Light):**

Those who enter the user's field of vision are totally incinerated with black flames. Only those who have developed a **Mangekyo Sharingan (Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye) **can use it. A great deal of chakra is necessary for its use, and there is the risk that overuse can damage its user's eyesight

**(2) Kairaiyose (lit. Puppet Summoning): **Used by puppet masters whose puppets are brought forth by **Kuchiyose no Jutsu (lit. Summoning Technique)**. Either a scroll or blood contract is needed for this Jutsu.

**(3) Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu (lit. Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet):** A great mass of water in the form of a dragon strikes opponents.

\/Author's note/\

And there is another chapter! And a plot twist or two here and there :) reviews are greatly appreciated... P.s. the war WILL happen... just procrastinating/building up to it/being lazy... whatever you wanna call it, it's coming up... eventually

DemonVampire13


	10. A Familiar Situation

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 10

A Familiar Situation

Itachi sat in his bedroom. It had been about three days since Kai-Linn had disappeared. Rorona was looking at a bookshelf, sage green eyes innocently scanning the book titles. She had removed her cloak, revealing a slender, somewhat muscled body and a sleeveless fighting robe and black pants. The silence that went through the room was deafening. Itachi grit his teeth together, thousands of questions buzzing in his skull.

"How... how are you alive after all this time, Rorona-sama?" Itachi struggled to ask indifferently.

Rorona jumped, spinning around to face him. He arched a brow in her direction. Had it been so quiet she had forgotten his presence? He sighed heavily, slowly starting to see where Kai-Linn got some of her habits from. Rorona walked up to Itachi, smiling widely.

"Two words..." She held up one finger. "Bug..." Another finger went up. "Clones." Rorona took a small black ball out. Itachi stared at it, seeing a large amount of bugs swarming in the ball. He raised a brow at her, silently asking for an explanation. Rorona slipped it away, falling down on his bed.

"I put a desired amount of chakra into the casing. How long the clone lasts depends on how much chakra is given up. The clone doesn't disappear until the chakra runs out. Plain and simple." She chuckled. "It used to be an Aburame clan secret technique, but I got my hands on it... and when I used it all those years ago, I was so drained of chakra."

"That's how your corpse disappeared and was reduced to a pile of bugs, correct?"

She nodded. Itachi rose then started to pace the room. His mind was hard at work, slowly coming up with a plan. A question popped into his head.

"Do you remember who killed you?"

Rorona's eyes shot to the floor sadly. Itachi flinched when his Akatsuki ring flashed. Rorona noticed and nodded to him, curling under the bed covers. Itachi did a string of simple handsigns as he closed his eyes.

When he opened his crimson orbs, he was in the familiar rock cavern. Pein, Konan, Kisame, Deidara, Zetsu, and Tobi stood around him. His eyes narrowed cautiously. He took a deep breath composing himself if only a little. Pein cleared his throat, making all eyes go to him. He looked deadly serious.

"Kai-Linn has left Akatsuki." He said blatantly.

"What?!" Deidara cried. Following his remark came many others of surprise and concern.

"Enough!" Pein growled, followed by silence. "Mikori reported it to me. Three days ago, Konoha attacked Deidara, Kai-Linn, and Itachi. After transporting Deidara and Itachi, she willingly went with them when they offered her the life she used to live in Konoha."

"If Mikori was there, why did she not interfere? Or tell you sooner?" Itachi mused quietly.

"She was... delayed." Pein answered quickly. "As of now, Kai-Linn is our enemy. If you run into her, you are to kill her. Dismissed."

Itachi opened his eyes to his room. Rorona was sitting up in the bed, her eyes narrowed and anxious. Itachi took a deep breath, trying and failing to calm himself. With a low growl, he spun around, planting his fist into the wall. The window rattled at the force. He grit his teeth together, hissing profanities through his lips.

"Itachi-san... what's wrong?"

He recoiled at the sound of Rorona's voice. It sounded so much like Kai-Linn's before she was taken. He looked back at her. She was off the bed, slowly moving toward him. She reached out and hugged him lightly. He pulled away, staring at her in confusion. She looked at him worriedly.

"It's like all those years ago!" He roared, planting his fist into the wall again. "Because of Mikori's lies, someone is threatened. Now, because of her, Kai-Linn is..."

"Alive and will stay that way."

Itachi glanced at her again. Rorona was smiling gently at him. He went over to his bed and sat down. She followed him and sat next to him on her knees. She brushed a bang from his face. Crimson met green when he looked at her.

"It's not just positive thinking." Rorona said. "I know Konoha, I know Tsunade! Tsunade will keep Kai-Linn alive, probably going to try and help Konoha with the Akatsuki Otogakure War."

Itachi smiled at Rorona. She smiled back. He took a deep breath, absorbing the older woman's words.

_Alive... and will stay that way_

**Two weeks later...**

Kai-Linn looked up from her meditating as the door to her cell opened. Tsunade strode in, her shoes striking the stone floor noisily. Kai-Linn got up, her legs stiff after sitting in the same position for so long. Tsunade crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"We're letting you out early... from now on, you'll live with Kijo and when she's out, you'll be tagged by ANBU Black Ops. You will have neither a rank nor missions."

Kai-Linn nodded. Tsunade cut the bindings around Kai-Linn's wrists quickly before striding out of the cell. Kijo peeked her head in, motioning for Kai-Linn to follow her. Kai-Linn followed quickly and quietly. Kijo continued to wear her mask until they reached her house.

When they walked in, Kai-Linn got a surprise. Curled up on the couch was a familiar white dog, looking in her direction with ice blue eyes. Kai-Linn stared blankly for a moment, taking a few steps toward the dog. The dog jumped off the couch and ran toward Kai-Linn. Barks of happiness rang through the house as the dog jumped up on Kai-Linn.

"Hatimi..." Kai-Linn cried, hugging the dog around the neck.

Hatimi barked twice as if to say 'Y'know it!'. Kai-Linn stroked Hatimi's fur lovingly. The dog backed off, looking quizzically at Kijo, who had removed her mask. Kai-Linn immediately noticed the lines under the older girl's eyes. Kijo smiled fleetingly at Kai-Linn before falling down on a chair. Kai-Linn walked over to Kijo. Kijo stared up at Kai-Linn, her eyes more gentle than before.

"Nice to have you home, Kai-chan..." Kijo mumbled sweetly.

Kai-Linn felt a wave of emotions flood over her. Tears built up in her eyes. She fell to her knees, resting her head on Kijo's lap. The blonde looked down in confusion as Kai-Linn started to sob. She stroked Kai-Linn's hair, giving a small smile as she heard laughter come from Kai-Linn.

"I... I'm home..."

* * *

Tsunade stared out her window, mulling over some of her thoughts. She felt uneasy with Kai-Linn, a member of Akatsuki, in Konoha. Her thoughts were interrupted when Kakashi stepped in the office. She spun in her chair to face him. Her eyes narrowed at blonde hair peeking out from outside the door frame. She sighed.

"I heard she's back... is it true?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes. She's living with Kyoubou Kijo and will remain there until her decision is made."

"Has she changed anymore since... all those years ago? Or is she still the same, chipper girl that trained with Bekko Akira?"

"I really don't know... she seems cockier than before, I'll give her that much."

"Can't believe... Kai-Linn is back after all this time."

The flash of blonde hair disappeared as soon as Kakashi said 'Kai-Linn.' Tsunade chuckled as did Kakashi. After dismissing Kakashi, she smiled. Maybe Naruto could help convince Kai-Linn. Tsunade turned back to the village view, smiling again as she spotted Naruto jumping from the roofs.

_Just maybe... he can change her decision. Good luck Naruto_... Tsunade thought.

* * *

Naruto ran as fast as he could from the Hokage Tower. After hearing Kakashi and Tsunade's conversation, his heart skipped a beat. He just couldn't believe it... Kai-Linn was back in the village. It wasn't as good as Sasuke returning, but it was a start. Maybe Sasuke would come back next... or Akira. He smiled widely at the thought of everyone coming back.

Soon, he landed in front of Kijo's house. Taking a deep breath he knocked on the door. He heard the familiarity of Hatimi's barking, followed by a shushing sound. He started jumping on the balls of his feet as the doorknob turned. His heart skipped a beat once again when the door opened.

Kai-Linn stared in surprise at the sight of Naruto.

"N...Naruto-kun?"

"KAI-CHAN!! YOU'RE REALLY BACK!!"

He rushed forward, briefly catching sight of a pair of alarmed emerald orbs before he caught her in his arms. Her breathless laughter brushed his ears as he lifted her up, spinning her around. It was so good to see her in Konoha again.

With a final squeeze, he set her back on the floor and stepped back.

"What a welcome..." Kai-Linn said breathlessly, moving for Naruto to go into the house. "Try to be quiet. Kijo-chan is sleeping."

Hatimi nudged Naruto's hand, with which he responded with a vigorous ruffle of fur. Kai-Linn went to the kitchen, returning soon after with tea. She placed it in front of Naruto and sat down next to him. He took a sip of the tea before glancing at Kai-Linn. She was staring down at the cup, deep in thought.

"Haven't seen her, have you?" Naruto asked.

"Who?" Kai-Linn raised a brow, looking at him.

"...Akira-chan..."

Kai-Linn shook her head. Naruto put the tea down when her eyes glistened. He leaned close to her face enough to see tears lining her eyes. Kai-Linn stared back at him with wide eyes.

"You don't know, do you?!" Naruto cried, recoiling.

"Naruto-kun! Enough..."

Naruto and Kai-Linn flinched when Kijo came down the stairs. The older girl grabbed some tea and sat down in a chair near the couch. Kai-Linn stared at Kijo, immediately interested in what Naruto was going to say. Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"She has every right to know, Kijo-san." He hissed.

"She just got out of prison, Naruto. Give it time."

"Does this have anything to do with Akira-chan being a Jinchurriki like Naruto-kun?" Kai-Linn intervened.

"What?!" Kijo looked at Kai-Linn, her eyes wide.

"Akira-chan is WHAT?!" Naruto cried.

Kai-Linn flinched. "I... you didn't know? I'd think Konoha would have records of something like this."

"Well, Akira was originally a Genin of Kirigakure so we don't know that much about her, actually." Kijo explained.

"Then what are you guys talking about!?" Kai-Linn cried.

Kijo and Naruto exchanged glances. Naruto took the tea from Kai-Linn's hand, placed it on the table and wrapped his arm around her comfortingly. She looked at him then Kijo skeptically.

"When Akatsuki came back for you four or five years ago, she left once they took you. She claimed she was going to Orochimaru because he promised to bring back her old comrades, Momochi Zabuza and Haku... but I think she wanted power so she could get you back..."

Naruto felt Kai-Linn tense underneath his arm. He looked at her. She was biting down on her lower lip, her hands clenched tightly. He rubbed her shoulder. She looked at him as he grinned broadly.

"Don't worry though! If we got you back here, soon Sasuke-teme and Akira-chan will follow suit!" He laughed. "I promise, I'll get Akira-chan back in Konoha... BELIEVE IT!!"

A smile tugged at her lips. She hugged Naruto around the neck, murmuring something in his ear.

"I know you will, Naruto-kun... I know."

**Hebi (Sasuke's Group)**

Akira ran through a thick forest in Kusagakure. The moonlight cast shadows across her face. She had been patrolling for about three hours without rest, but she didn't want to face her comrades right now... if comrade was the right word at the moment. She finally stopped running, landing near a lake. She saw the campfire not to far off, so she started walking on the shore. She thought of how bad everyone had reacted when she told them the truth.

* * *

"_She's right. I am the Hachibi Jinchurriki." She whispered._

_Hikari stared wide eyed at Akira. She sheathed her katana. Kenji walked in front of Akira staring her straight in the eyes._

"_Why didn't you tell us?!" He asked._

"_I... wanted to... protect you all..." She whispered._

"_By lying to us?!"_

_Akira winced. She nodded hesitantly. She turned to Hikari, who was shaking. Suddenly, Hikari lashed out, slapping Akira across the face. Akira's head turned with the blow. Akira glanced at Hikari, who was clenching her hands. Hikari glared at Akira venomously._

"_You should have told us, Akira..." Hikari growled. She turned away._

_Akira bit her lower lip as she looked at Sasuke. His eyes were hidden by his bangs. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat before walking toward him. When she extended her hand toward him, he swatted it away. He glared at her with his Sharingan before turning away._

"_Thank you for that information, Mikori-san..." Sasuke looked over his shoulder. "Let's go..."_

* * *

Akira looked over her shoulder. The campfire was no longer visible. She sighed and fell to the sandy ground. She stared up at the sky, the stars shining happily. She sighed heavily, closing her eyes. She looked down when a squirrel settled on her stomach. It looked at her, ears twitching before curling into a ball. She smiled.

"Kai-chan..." She mumbled.

Her eyes shot open. An unknown chakra was nearby. The squirrel's head shot up, looking around. It jumped off of her, scampering into the woods. Akira got to her feet, looking around. She drew a kunai and dove into a nearby tree as she masked her chakra. She looked through the branches as a figure appeared on the lake shore. She saw a black cloak with red clouds...

Akatsuki.

Akira clenched the kunai tightly. The Akatsuki wore a rice picker hat, hiding their face. They had a huge bandaged sword on their back. She slipped the kunai away, replacing it with the black katana that rested on her hip, leaving the white one sheathed. She jumped off the tree silently. When she landed, the Akatsuki turned to face her. She pointed her sword at their neck.

"Well, well... here's a sight for sore eyes..." A gravely voice said from under the rice picker hat.

Akira flinched. The man removed his hat revealing blue skin and hair. Akira's eyes narrowed. She recognized that face...

"Hoshigaki Kisame..." She ground out.

"In the flesh... what can I do for you, Chibi Akira...?" He gave a shark-like grin.

"I need information..." She growled, slowing calming down.

"About what?"

"Kai-Linn... what's happened to her recently?"

"Kai-Linn? That brat left us a month ago. Itachi-san denies it, but it's true. She went back to her dear little village."

Akira recoiled. Kisame took this as a chance, jumping away from her sword range. Crouching low to the ground, he gripped Samehada tightly, staring with malicious intent at Akira. The blonde looked up at Kisame before turning on her heel. Kisame shot into an upright position, shock lining his expression.

"Hold on, brat! Where are you going?!" Kisame growled at her.

"None of your business, Sharky. But I thank you for the information that you gave me." She flashed a smile over at him before disappearing.

Kisame scratched the back of his head. He really had no idea what just happened... He placed Samehada on his back and got back on track for his mission.


	11. Deceit and Promises

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 11

Deceit and Promises

Kai-Linn walked through the village quietly, Hatimi by her side. Kijo and Naruto were out on missions and she had nothing to do. She trained for a few hours, worked with Tsunade and Sakura, but come around 4 pm, she was pacing around the village. The ANBU tagging her were probably getting bored. She rolled her eyes. '_ANBU's... bored. Yeah right..._'

In truth of it all, she, Tsunade and Sakura had been working on a special jutsu. If done correctly, it could preserve the life of the Jinchurriki during the Akatsuki's extraction process. It would separate the human soul and the Bijou's soul in separate bracelets sealed in a scroll. After telling Tsunade about Akira, she had gotten the idea soon after. It was finished, it was just the fact that they needed a test subject.

As she walked the streets, she spotted a clay artist. She looked over the sculptures, spotting one that was shaped like a flying eagle. '_Deidara-san would like that one..._' She pulled out some money and handed it to the woman. The woman handed over the sculpture with a smile. Kai-Linn bowed to the woman before heading back to Kijo's house.

She went up to her room and placed the sculpture on her nightstand. She hopped out the window and up to the roof. She lay down to look up at the sky. She thought of the Akatsuki. What would happen since she was gone? Would they come back for her or would they wait until the war? Would they come back to get her at all?

She took a deep breath. If Akatsuki itself didn't, would Itachi? He said he would try his best to protect her...

* * *

"_It... I-Itachi..." She whispered._

"_Let's go back..." He whispered back, kissing her forehead once before standing up._

_Kai-Linn got to her feet, staring at Itachi. He glanced back at her, brow arched. She was looking away from him. He walked up to her, grasped her chin, and made her look up at him. She flinched._

"_What is it?" He asked._

"_Where did you go, Itachi-san..." She mumbled._

"_A... personal mission." He answered. She looked up at him skeptically. "I wanted to check up on my brother, Sasuke. It seems he is taking Orochimaru's place in the war."_

"_Oh... well you were gone so long, I thought something had happened to you once the storm started. I went out to search for you and almost was killed by Mikori..." She grumbled._

"_That won't happen again. I promise."_

"_How can you promise? I don't understand."_

_His arms snaked around her. He brought her close, resting his head on top of hers. He looked down at her._

"_I promise that I'll always be there for you. No matter what, I'll protect you even if it costs me my life..."_

* * *

Kai-Linn closed her eyes. Her hand snaked its way up to her neck, wishing that she had the special necklace that Itachi had given her all those years ago. On a silver chain, the kanji of darkness charm would glow warmly if Itachi was near. She remembered how the last time she saw it, she was right next to Itachi, yet the chakra-like glow was fleeting. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts.

Her mind wandered to what happened last month, before she returned here. Something seemed blacked out. Closing her eyes tightly, she focused, forcing herself to remember.

_The backup ANBUs had cast a water jutsu... she had focused solely on saving Itachi and Deidara... she had tried to draw out the last bit of chakra in her body..._

Her eyes shot open as a stabbing pain shot through her body. She sat up quickly, clutching at the curse mark, where the pain originated from. She took a deep breath as another stab shot through her body. She bit down on her lip, holding back a scream. A shadow-like form appeared next to her. She looked up at the ANBU.

"Are you in pain, Kagemara Kai-Linn?" He asked monotonely.

"No, I'm just sitting here, pain wracking my entire being on this wonderful day. I'm just PEACHY!" She bit out, flinching as another wave of pain washed over her.

Another figure appeared next to the ANBU. She looked up at Kakashi in surprise. He scooped her up in his arms, turning to the ANBU. The ANBU stared at Kakashi.

"Please report to Hokage-sama... I'll take care of Kagemara." Kakashi said with a smile.

The ANBU nodded before disappearing. Kai-Linn rested her head against Kakashi's shoulder as the pain started to subside. When she opened her eyes, he had taken her down to her room. Placing her on the bed, he brought down the collar of her shirt down a bit to look at the mark. He stood and looked at the nightstand. He raised a brow.

"What's with the sculpture? When'd you get into art?" He asked.

"It's for Deidara. When I see him again, I'm gonna give it to him." She answered in a dark tone.

Kakashi smiled at this. He ruffled her hair, receiving a growl. After running a hand over her nightstand, he wove goodbye before launching out the window. She sighed loudly, falling down on the bed. She looked back at the sculpture; something else caught her eye. She sat up and looked at it.

It was the necklace.

Kai-Linn eyes widened. She turned toward the window as if Kakashi was still there... no, not Kakashi... Itachi. She smiled. Slipping on the necklace, she sighed contently when the warmth spread across her body. She smiled before laying down to sleep.

Outside, Itachi stared into Kai-Linn's window. He gave a fleeting smile as he disappeared in a gust of wind.

* * *

Kisame landed quietly on a hill overlooking a small village. Pein had sent him to the Land of Earth as a reconnaissance mission, but all the other details were unknown.

He looked down at the village. It was very... creepy. There was a large patch of mist covering the village. He barely made out the shapes of houses. He jumped to the entrance of the village, which was marked by a destroyed gate. He stepped into the cold mist, masking his chakra. Once he was fully enshrouded in mist, he smiled to himself. He felt rather at home in the enshroudment.

He froze when he heard a creaking noise. He shook his head continuing through the village. He looked up as a building started to loom over him. '_A temple..._' he thought. He continued up the stairs and to the entrance.

Kisame's senses pricked. He jumped to the side as a dark figure stepped up the stairs. The person's face was hidden by a dark hooded cloak. Glancing over his shoulder, the person entered the temple. Before the door closed, Kisame darted into the temple. He hid behind a large pillar. He glanced around.

The temple was just a huge, circular room. There was a large ring of black pillars with red markings on them. All the marks ran down to the floor then to the center of the room, where a large fire burned. More hooded figures stood around the fire. They all turned toward the newcomer.

"Welcome, brother." A female voice rang out from underneath a cloak. "Your quest was...?"

"His lordship is pleased with the spoils, requiring more soon." The newcomer replied, a familiar male voice.

"Yes! Another massacre! A rogue group or of that level!" An old man's voice said.

"It should be quick, so we are not discovered." A deep voice said.

"Lord Jashin will protect us..." The newcomer chuckled.

"Jashin?" Kisame whispered to himself, growling inwardly as their conversations stopped.

"Who is there?! Show yourself, stranger!!" The woman cried.

Kisame snarled. They'd find him eventually. He stepped out from behind the pillar, his hand flying up to Samehada's hilt. He gave a shark grin at the shocked group of Jashin worshipers. The newcomer tensed visibly.

"Well, Leader-sama told me to just do some recon... why do you think that, baka Jashinists?" He goaded.

The worshipers tensed, taking out from under their cloaks. The newcomer, though, threw out an arm in attempt to stop his comrades. Both Kisame and the worshipers recoiled in surprise, glancing at the newcomer. The man took a few steps toward Kisame.

"Brothers and sister, this man is an ally... he's not a worshiper, but an ally either way." The man threw back his hood, making Kisame, once again, recoil in surprise.

Silver hair and light purple eyes rested on a thin face...

It was Hidan.

Pein's projection appeared next to Kisame. All eyes shot to him in confusion.

"Mission complete, Kisame." Pein said blatantly. "Now, I've got something to explain to you."

"That might be helpful." Kisame growled.

"Hidan, this is about what I messaged you early about. The war?" Hidan nodded at Pein's question. "I wish for you and your accomplices to join our side. Any deaths or survivors you may sacrifice in the name of your Lord Jashin, if that is your wish..."

The three others started to murmur amongst themselves. Hidan glanced back at them as they continued to talk. When they looked back up, the woman nodded. Pein gave a faint smirk.

"Who will we be fighting?" The old man asked.

"Otogakure and possibly Konohagakure." Pein sighed.

"Fresh meat..." The gruff man growled.

"Introduce yourselves, damn fools!" Hidan barked. "And give an explanation of your skills!"

"I am Shiro." The woman said with a bow. "I am a Genjutsu assassin..."

"Name's Koga..." The gruff man answered soon after. "In case you haven't guessed, I'm a Taijutsu expert.

"My name is Watari." The old man finished. "Do not underestimate my power because of my age."

"Well met, Shiro... Koga... Watari." Pein chuckled. "As of now, you are spies and scouts for Akatsuki... Hidan, we also need you for an initiation."

Hidan nodded, giving a sadistic smirk.

**One month later...**

Kai-Linn strode through the village, her long hair up in two ponytails. Hatimi and Kijo walked alongside her. A rucksack was on her shoulder, holding the Jinchurriki/Bijou Separation Jutsu scroll, the eagle sculpture, and some miscellaneous items. A few weeks ago, Tsunade decided to return Kai-Linn's old rank as an ANBU. Tsunade did this for a reason, but she hadn't realized that Kai-Linn had lied.

She had come to Tsunade, saying she would help Konoha fight against Otogakure and Akatsuki. Deep down, Kai-Linn would rather die than do exactly that, but she decided to fib her way to Tsunade's trust. She chuckled at the memory of Tsunade's face lighting up as Kai-Linn gave her the choice she had made. After that, Tsunade reassigned her as an ANBU.

A small bird flitted in front of her. She held out her hand, allowing it to land in her palm. She spotted a small piece of paper wrapped around the bird's foot. She took it off and the bird flew away. She unwrapped the paper. On it were scribbled words, hurriedly written by the look of it.

_Kai-Linn, Akatsuki attacking Konoha. You're considered foe... run!!_

She immediately recognized Deidara's handwriting. She noticed the pattern of tree bark on the words, meaning he wrote it with the paper on a tree. A chill went down her spine as a small warmth made itself known on her chest. She looked at the necklace...

It was glowing faintly.

"Kai-Linn...? What is it?" Kijo asked, her voice far away.

Kai-Linn didn't even look back at her friend. Taking a deep breath, she focused all of her chakra to her feet. She leaned backward slightly. She heard Kijo talk into a radio as she prepared to run.

"Kagemara's making a break for it! All units converge on this location immediately!" Kijo cried, reaching toward Kai-Linn...

And wrapping her fingers around nothing but a cloud of dust.

Kai-Linn felt the ground below her crack when she launched toward the foundation border. She hissed angrily as ANBU appeared in her path, kunai and katana drawn. Taking out two handful of senbon, she threw a few at each one. They all collapsed as she zipped past them. The warmth at her breasts grew as she neared the border of the village.

Her hair whipped into her face as she stopped abruptly. She looked around at the forest on either side of the gates. She cast a solemn glance over her shoulder before darting into the woods. It wasn't long until she saw black cloaks with red clouds. She stopped on a branch as they landed, surrounding her.

Her eyes narrowed at the sight of Mikori. A low hiss escaped her clenched teeth when Mikori gave a cheesy smirk in her direction. Kai-Linn arched a brow when she realized Itachi wasn't among the Akatsuki. She shot a questioning look at Deidara, who was fidgeting. Kai-Linn swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

"What an unexpected surprise..." She smiled sarcastically. "Here to get Naruto I presume?"

"No..." Tobi whispered, a dark tone slipping past his usual happy demeanor. "Kai-Linn... we're here to kill you."

Kai-Linn recoiled. "K-Kill me? Why the hell would you want to kill me?!" She roared, anger quickly replacing fear.

"Don't play stupid!" Mikori's sick giggle intervened. "You betrayed us after Konoha offered you your old life... by accepting their offer, you betrayed us."

Kai-Linn felt rage build up inside her. With a loud hiss, she lunged at Mikori. The silver haired woman was caught off guard. Kai-Linn tackled Mikori, sending them both to the ground below. Kai-Linn drew out her purple katana, her hand wrapped tightly around it. Chakra seared into her hand, making the sword unravel. Mikori chuckled.

"You intend to fight? Just remember, mommy won't save you this time." She whispered.

Kai-Linn froze at Mikori's words, giving Mikori a chance to strike. Kai-Linn was sent into a tree as Mikori drove her fist into Kai-Linn's stomach. Kai-Linn gasped before going into a low crouch. She charged toward the woman, her sword striking the silverette deeply in the side. Mikori jumped away, dodging another blow. She and Kai-Linn went to attack one another simultaneously.

Itachi grabbed a wrist of both girls, standing in the middle of them both. Kai-Linn blinked in surprise. He pushed them backward as he released them. He glared up at Pein. Pein stared back. Itachi didn't move, but addressed Pein.

"What would happen if I took the blame for what Kai-Linn did?" He blurted out.

Kai-Linn, Mikori, Deidara, and Kisame tensed. All eyes turned to Pein, whom had a raised brow in curiosity. The man chuckled, making Itachi's glare harden. He waved a dismissive hand.

"She would be spared and you would have to face her punishment on your own. Whatever I deem as a punishment, you would receive and she would be welcome back into Akatsuki."

"Fine." Itachi replied blatantly.

Kai-Linn's eyes widened to the size of saucers. She walked up to Itachi with an anxious expression. Mikori was shaking. Kisame and Deidara looked at each other before turning back to the others. Pein started to laugh maliciously. Kai-Linn spotted a sadistic smirk across the man's lips. She clenched her hands, resisting the urge to jump up and slap that smirk off his face.

"As you wish, Itachi-san. I will think about what kind of punishment you will get."

Itachi nodded. The Akatsuki darted away, except for Mikori, Itachi, and Kai-Linn. Itachi glanced at the two of them before darting away. Mikori shook her head, looking at Kai-Linn apologetically. Kai-Linn didn't notice it. She was shaking with anger, still staring at where Pein had just been standing. If Pein wanted to kill her, he would gladly kill Itachi instead?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the ANBU. She and Mikori jumped away, following the group. Kai-Linn bit her lower lip in an attempt to calm herself. Memories from the Land of Snow flashed in her mind, making her shudder. Her eyes widened at a thought...

Would she lose Itachi again?

Kijo and the other ANBU searched through the forest for about an hour before giving up their search. Kijo sat on top of the Hokage Monument, holding her head in her hands. When the ANBU appeared near her, she looked up solemnly. They all shook their heads, making her turn away. After dismissing them, she choked on a sob. She brought up her knees to her chest, resting her head on them.

"Kai-Linn... why do you always do this to us... why do you..." She stopped as another sob seared through her chest.

_Why do you always deceive us_...?

* * *

\/Author's Note/\

finally updated...i got grounded from the internet, but managed to post this at school... that and i've been Yu-Gi-Oh online Dueling for the past two months... that's what got me grounded T.T

R&R

DemonVampire13


	12. Execution

DV13: hi peoples! just wanted 2 let u know that if u have any questions i'll happily answer them... except spoiler hints; they is a big no-no

Deidara: Uh, DV13? we should start shouldn't we, _hmmm_?

DV13: OH!! Oxo right... places people! lights, camera... ACTION!!

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 12

Execution

Akira ran through Konoha, a blur to anyone's eyes. She had arrived a few days ago (with Sasuke's consent) and was searching every nook and cranny, hoping that Kisame wasn't lying. She landed on top of the Hokage tower, growling to herself. She blinked when she heard Tsunade. Masking her chakra further, she slunk down the side of the building until she reached an open window.

"Kai-Linn has left?!" Tsunade roared. "Why didn't anyone stop her or something?!"

"We tried..." Akira froze at Kijo's voice. "But she was so... desperate? She had used senbon coated in a mysterious poison, possibly her own, to stun the ANBU that tried to stop her. The poison wore off as soon as she disappeared."

Akira bit her thumbnail. So she was a few days late... meaning Kai-Linn probably couldn't have gotten that far. She smiled, launching back towards the woods, where the others were waiting.

Kai-Linn growled angrily to herself, throwing a kunai and embedding it in the wall parallel to her. She sighed heavily, falling backwards on her bed. She really hated the world right now. She looked at the wall with the kunai in it... there were a bunch of small holes in the wall where the kunai had repeatedly been stuck.

She hopped up and grabbed a certain book on her shelf. It was Rorona's record book. She plopped back down on her bed, opening it to where she had left off before she returned to Konoha.

* * *

_At age 23, Rorona refused a mission. Soon after, she claimed that she was pregnant. Pein, the leader, called for private meeting without Rorona's presence, claiming that Rorona could not be trusted. Other members were then ordered to eliminate Rorona. Rorona got word of her impending doom and left Akatsuki._

_Pein then changed the order. The order was to wait until the child was born. Once the child was born, Akatsuki would kill Rorona and take the child to train as an ultimate weapon._

_The day the child was born, new recruit Satetsu Mikori, former eight year old Chûnin of Konohagakure, was sent to assassinate Rorona. According to Satetsu, when she arrived at the birthplace, Rorona was dead and the child was gone. She claimed that Rorona had been killed by Orochimaru, another member of Akatsuki, but had no proof. After recovering Rorona's corpse, Satetsu soon was sent out as a spy in Kusagakure, The Village Hidden Amongst the Grass._

_Three days later, Rorona's corpse disappeared; in its place was a pile of bugs. Body possibly disposed of by Akatsuki member, but no evidence was found. Whether Rorona faked her death or not is unknown and what happened to the child is unknown as well._

* * *

Kai-Linn stared down at the book. So Mikori was wrong... Rorona had left of her own accord, not disposed of like Mikori had said. Kai-Linn groaned when she remembered something. Everyone had disappeared, leaving her alone in the temple...

With Mikori.

After their little spat the other day, Mikori had tried her best to avoid Kai-Linn. Whenever Kai-Linn saw her, Mikori seemed sad and frantic. She was always writhing her hands, her eyes wide in fear.

Kai-Linn jumped when Mikori bursted into her room. Quickly, she stuffed the book under her pillow. As usual, Mikori seemed frantic. Kai-Linn groaned, sitting up and looking back out the window. Mikori walked over to Kai-Linn. She suddenly grabbed Kai-Linn's wrist.

"What do you want, Mikori?" Kai-Linn growled.

"We have to find Itachi..." She whispered, giving a small tug at the arm. "We really do!!"

"Why? He should be fine until Pein makes his decision, right?" Kai-Linn asked.

"That's just it though!! Pein's decision has already been made... he's going through with it right now!!"

"Mikori..." Kai-Linn asked, jumping to her feet. "What _is_ Pein's decision anyway?"

"He... plans to execute Itachi in front of every single Akatsuki accomplice... in other words, there's going to be an army of Akatsuki puppets..." Mikori replied quietly, hoping Kai-Linn wouldn't hear her answer...

Which failed greatly.

Kai-Linn's body started to shake. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers as Mikori's words sunk in. A lone tear streamed down her cheek. Mikori touched Kai-Linn's shoulder, jerking her out of her trance.

"No..." Kai-Linn whispered, backing up. "I... I can't lose him because of _my _mistakes... not again!"

Kai-Linn spun around, shooting out of the temple. Mikori followed after her. It took a lot of strength to keep up with Kai-Linn. Mikori ran a bit ahead, turning to Kai-Linn. The girl stopped abruptly, glaring hard at the area ahead.

"You don't even know where they're holding the execution!" Mikori told her. "And like I said; there is going to be an ARMY of Akatsuki puppets. You can't just stop an execution without a death wish."

"Maybe Kai-Linn wants that, Mikori-chan." A soft voice said from a tree branch not too far off.

They both turned to see Rorona ((but Kai-Linn still doesn't know)). The woman looked at the both of them with an intense stare. Mikori's eyes narrowed before turning back to Kai-Linn, who was looking in confusion. Mikori snapped two fingers in front of her face.

"Kai-Linn... we need to think things through. We can't just go barging in like we own the place!"

"You aren't going anywhere."

Rorona threw her hood over her face as Kisame and Deidara appeared. Kai-Linn looked away from the two. Mikori noticed this before turning toward Deidara and Kisame. Her eyes flashed dangerously.

"Why not, Kisame? Deidara?" Mikori asked.

"We've been ordered to stop anyone who tries to cancel the execution." Kisame growled darkly.

Kai-Linn blinked. It was barely there, but she still heard it. Kisame had hesitated in saying 'execution' and his tone was... solemn. She looked at him and sure enough, his expression was gloomy. As was Deidara's. A small idea popped into her head. She growled.

"Why are you letting them go through with this?!" She cried at them. All eyes shot to her. "I mean, think about this, guys!! Deidara: if Itachi wasn't around, whom else would you compete with when it came to artistry? Sasori-sama is gone, leaving only Itachi. I know you would hate if all your competition disappeared!" She turned to Kisame. "And it's worse for you! If he's gone you'll have to be partnered with someone else. Either me... or Mikori."

Kisame shuddered lightly. He and Deidara exchanged glances. They shook their heads.

"We can't disobey orders. We'd end up in the same situation that you're going through." Deidara said sadly.

"Then screw thinking things through..." Mikori mumbled angrily, just loud enough for Kai-Linn to hear.

Kai-Linn gave an evil smirk. She jumped at Kisame, pinning the larger Shinobi to a tree. The Tsukigan maliciously bled into her eyes. He stared at her, shocked. She tightened her grip.

"If you aren't with us, you're against us. Now tell me... where the hell are they holding the execution?" She hissed through gritted teeth.

"It's about 3 kilometers from here..." He rasped. "It's a small hill on the outside, but there's a hidden door at the base, leading to an underground coliseum type place."

Kai-Linn nodded, releasing the Sharkman. When he blinked, Mikori, Kai-Linn, and the hooded woman were gone.

* * *

Itachi sat in the corner of his cell. His hands were tied behind his back, so tightly that he had lost feeling in them a few hours ago. The bindings were made of a chakra sealing material, so he had been without Sharingan for quite some time. He looked up as Konan stepped into the cell. The blue haired woman pulled him to his feet and led him out.

Where she led him surprised him slightly. It was a large circular room carved out of rock. Metal balconies ran across the diameter of the room. At one point, five throne-like shapes had been carved into the rock. In the center of the room was a chair. He looked up as the balconies were filled with the Akatsuki's allies. Then, one by one, the Akatsuki appeared, sitting on the stone thrones.

Pein appeared in front of the chair. Konan nudged Itachi lightly before jumping up to an empty throne.

Itachi ran his eyes over the thrones. Tobi, Zetsu, Konan, and Hidan were sitting there. But where were Mikori, Kisame, and Deidara? He walked over to the center and sat in the chair. Pein nodded to the four others.

"Uchiha Itachi... you are charged with deceit of Akatsuki and then running away to Konohagakure, whom we are currently at war with." Konan said loudly.

"Originally, this would have been Kagemara Kai-Linn's punishment, but you accepted her punishment as your own..." Both voices of Zetsu rang out.

"You will now face death by public execution. Your executioner is our Leader, Pein..." Hidan growled.

"Have you any last words, Uchiha Itachi?" Tobi finished, his voice much darker and ominous.

"Hmph..." Itachi bowed his head, whispering something under his breath.

* * *

Kai-Linn ran toward the area Kisame had mentioned at a break neck pace. She stopped in a clearing to allow Rorona and Mikori to catch up. As she waited, a strong wind brushed past her. She closed her eyes, which soon snapped open when she heard a familiar yet soft, velvety voice carried on the gust.

"_Kai-Linn... please don't sacrifice yourself for my sake... I don't want you to die because of my choice..."_

Kai-Linn felt tears well up in her eyes. She spun on her heel and darted back into the forest, ignoring Rorona and Mikori's cries of exhaustion. She continued to run until her lungs burned and her legs ached. Even then, she refused to slow down. Suddenly, she tripped.

"Please..." She choked on a sob. Looking up, she could see the hill... so close! But her body refused to get up. "Please, Itachi..." She let out a mournful cry. "Itachi! Don't you die on me!!"

Feeling the warmth of the necklace flare made her jump. Something was happening during the execution. Closing her eyes in concentration, she got to her feet and charged toward the hill. Finding the hidden door, she bolted down the stairs. She continued till a wall of people blocked her path. Worming her way through, she managed to get to the rail of the balcony.

Her heart skipped a beat... It felt like the world was about to come crashing down on her. She had made it in time...

Only to see the six Pein's stab Itachi with katanas.

* * *

After whispering his last words, Itachi was fully prepared to die for Kai-Linn. Pein looked up at Hidan. The silver haired man tossed a katana into the air. Pein caught it in one hand, flipping the sheath off. He stepped toward Itachi quietly. He raised the blade, preparing to strike.

"_Itachi! Don't you die on me!!_"

Itachi's eyes shot open. He dodged the blade, his restraints accidentally being cut. His chakra flared greatly as it was released from the chakra bindings. He flexed his hands a few times in an attempt to get feeling back into them. Pein charged at him as chakra seared back into his body. He dodged the attacks easily. Pein suddenly split into his other forms. Hidan threw five more katana into the ring.

Itachi activated his Sharingan. The tomoe spun as he activated a Genjutsu on one of the Pein's. He stopped his attack, katana raised to strike. Another Pein ran over and dissipated the Genjutsu. Then all six Pein's started to attack again. Itachi was poised to attack when a shiver ran down his spine. He sensed Kai-Linn's chakra. A Pein struck him in the arm. He staggered backwards, clenching his wound. All six lunged at him, striking him down.

Pein became one body again. Removing the katanas from Itachi's body, he dropped them to the floor. Itachi's eyes fluttered shut. Pein nudged Itachi's body with a foot before turning toward an exit. He froze.

Kai-Linn landed in front of him, chakra radiating around her. Her hair flew around her face by an invisible wind. Violet chakra swirled around her ominously as it became more and more stronger. Suddenly, the curse mark's black flames started spreading across her body. They engulfed her skin, turning it to a much darker tone. Her hair grew down to the floor, slipping down her body. Wings sprouted from her back; an angel's wing and a black dragon wing. Tsukigan made her eyes glow dangerously.

"Pein..." She growled. "You will pay dearly for what you have done..."

Her lips curled over her teeth in a wicked sneer. The shadows quivered as she took careful steps toward Pein. The orange haired man shivered taking a step back. He looked up at Konan. She nodded.

"Everyone! I suggest you retreat to your assigned sectors..." She said to the puppets.

Hidan nodded to his group and soon, the cave was empty. Zetsu, Konan, and Hidan disappeared. No one noticed that Tobi stayed to watch. He watched, interest flashing underneath his whirlpool mask. There was someone else watching too, but in fear. It was Kioma. Kioma stared at Kai-Linn from the shadows, her eyes wide. Using a powerful concealment jutsu, she headed over to Itachi. He was alive, but barely. Glancing up at the other two, she slowly brought him toward an exit. Once there she attempted a healing jutsu.

Kai-Linn launched toward Pein. A chakra laden fist connected with his torso, sending him into a wall. He got to his feet. Then Pein streaked forward, his hands flipping through a series of seals. The wind picked up in the enclosed space, swirling round and round, bringing with it sharp needles of rain. Kai-Linn let out a loud hiss as they sliced at her body.

They exchanged punches and jutsu over and over again. Eventually, Kai-Linn was crouched on the curved ceiling. Pein stared up at her, blood slipping off a wound on his forehead. Kai-Linn flapped the wings on her back before lunging toward her opponent. She stopped when she saw Tobi step into the center of the room. Tobi faced Pein, glaring from underneath his mask. Kai-Linn landed quietly, the curse mark receding slowly from her body. She listened to what they were saying.

"Pein... enough of this nonsense. Not only did you not strike a fatal blow to Itachi, you are trying to kill a great asset in this war..." Tobi growled. Kai-Linn's eyes narrowed at the maliciousness in his voice. "You will cease your attack and act as if nothing occurred, got it?"

"Yes, Madara..." Pein growled under his breath.

Tobi nodded, turning to Kai-Linn. She flinched as he slowly walked toward her. She took a step back skeptically. Tobi noticed this, cocking his head to the side innocently.

"Kai-chan? What's the matter, Kai-chan?" He asked.

"You ask me that after Pein tried to kill Itachi?" She hissed.

"Kai-Linn... I'm fine." A soft voice spoke from behind her.

She spun around to see Itachi. Kioma stood a good distance away from them, her eyes darting around uneasily. Itachi looked up at the two Akatsuki in front of him. His eyes narrowed at Pein but his attention was quickly directed at Tobi.

"Pein-sama said you both are pardoned for what you did. So no trying to start a fight, Itachi-sama." Tobi chirped.

Itachi growled lowly before turning on his heel and leaving the cavern. Kai-Linn watched him leave solemnly. She walked over to Kioma. Kioma's eyes widened greatly; she started to back into the wall. Kai-Linn blinked when she realized Kioma's fear... of her.

"I'm so sorry..." Kai-Linn whispered. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that, Kioma-chan..."

Kioma looked away. Kai-Linn did the same, following after Itachi. Pein and Tobi disappeared, leaving Kioma alone. The young girl shivered again as she remembered what Kai-Linn looked like. Pushing the memory to the back of her mind, she darted out of the cavern.

* * *

Kai-Linn sat on the lake shore, watching the sunset. Itachi stood not too far away. Kai-Linn looked up at him from her spot on the sand for a moment. He looked back at her. She motioned for him to sit down. He raised a brow, but sat down next to her either way. When she placed her hands on either side of his face, he blinked in confusion.

"Hold still... and don't use Sharingan until I tell you."

Itachi resisted the urge to pull away when he felt her chakra delve into his temples. She rested her forehead against his as the internal workings of his eyes appeared behind her closed lids. She ignored the small blush that was crawling into her cheeks as she felt his breath brush against her lips.

"Please activate you Sharingan..." She said lightly.

He did as he was told. Kai-Linn's eyebrows knit together at how the internal workings suddenly became a large vessel of chakra. Some chakra lines looked damaged somewhat. Summoning her medical chakra, she started to heal the chakra lines that were damaged. Itachi gently closed his eyes. A comforting warmth swarmed through him as she healed his eyes.

He made a small noise of annoyance when the warmth disappeared and she drew away from him.

Itachi opened his eyes. He blinked in surprise at how everything was so much clearer. He glanced at Kai-Linn wide-eyed. She seemed to be waiting for something. He chuckled.

"You..." He stopped to think. "Thank you, Kai-Linn. I can see much better."

"Itachi... are you feeling any better?" She asked, placing a hand on his cheek.

"Yes..."

Kai-Linn smiled. In a swift move, she cocked her hand back and struck Itachi hard in the face. He turned with it, but spun his face back to look at her in shock. She glared at him, ignoring the tingling sensation coming from her hand.

"Good. Now don't you **ever** try that again!" She cried at him.

"Kai-Linn..." He started.

"Don't! I was so furious and upset at the same time when Mikori told me what was going to happen!! I was willing to kill everyone there in order to save you!" She looked away. "You have no idea how terrified I was..." Hot, angry tears streamed down her face.

Itachi wrapped his arms tightly around her. She didn't move, allowing the tears to fall. When she stopped crying, he pulled away slightly. He brushed his lips against her forehead. She didn't blush as usual. Her eyes were focused at the forest, narrowed. Itachi focused at the forest as well. Kai-Linn got to her feet, walking toward it. Itachi's eyes narrowed.

He lunged forward, grabbing her waist and jumping away.

Where Kai-Linn had just been standing moments before was a huge crater; in the center, a girl with blonde red-streaked hair. Kai-Linn's breath hitched in her chest.

"Akira..." She whispered.

* * *

DV13: CUT! THAT'S A WRAP!

Kai-Linn: why are u talkin' like that, DV13?

DV13: i really don't know... cuz it's fun? You'll never know... anyway! R&R people please and thank you. your next delivery of a chapter will be online in two to three weeks ((max))


	13. Why Did It Have To Be Her?

DV13: here's another chapter! i worked really hard on it... too the point of going past my deadline... even at that i think i could've done better! Sorry peoplez...

Kai-Linn: please enjoy chapter 13.

DV13: zomg! it's the unlucky 13th chapter! YAAAAY

Itachi: you're not gonna try to kill me, r u?

DV13: no, not in this chapter... i was thinking Fish Head...

Kisame: WHAAAT?!?!

DV13: kidding... or am i? anyway, here you go!

* * *

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 13

Why Did It Have To Be Her?

Kai-Linn stared in horror at Akira, who stood in a crater where Kai-Linn had just been standing. She felt Itachi's arm tense at her hip. She stepped forward; Akira flinched. Kai-Linn froze.

"Akira-chan..." She said in a feeble voice.

Akira's face softened greatly. Tears seemed to build in her eyes. The moment was short lived when a guttural cry sounded from the forest. Akira spun around, following Sasuke with her eyes as he lunged toward Itachi. Itachi jumped to his left. Sasuke glared daggers at his older brother. Kai-Linn moved toward them, but was stopped by Akira's hand around her wrist.

"Kai-chan... it's you."

"Why did you come here?!" Kai-Linn cried unintentionally in fury. "If the Akatsuki get their hands on you..." She didn't bother to finish.

"I just wanted to see you, Kai-chan..." Akira whispered, a lone tear streaming down her cheek.

Kai-Linn pulled her arm away. She stepped back toward the lake, shaking her head. Hikari and Kenji appeared, katanas drawn, protecting Akira. Kisame and Zetsu appeared as well, standing in front of Kai-Linn. Kisame chuckled.

"We meet again, chibi Akira-chan." Kisame grumbled.

"I got the big guy..." Akira growled.

"Plant man's mine." Kenji chuckled.

"That leaves me with Kai-Linn..." Hikari grumbled.

They all separated to different parts of the shore. Kisame growled happily before taking Samehada off his back. He let its tip rest on the ground. Akira drew her two katanas, black and white. They charged at each other, meeting halfway with a loud clashing sound. They parted then dove at each other again, almost in a vicious dance.

Kai-Linn dodged Hikari's incoming blade. She rushed toward Hikari. Hikari dodged her incoming fist, then uppercut with her sword. Kai-Linn jumped away, a small wound on her side. She pulled out a kunai and went into a defensive position. Hikari came forward, their blades meeting quickly.

Zetsu hadn't done much, but he had managed to herd Kenji toward the forest with large thorny vines flailing out of the ground. The plant-like man dashed forward, kicking Kenji into the forest. With a chuckle, he jumped after the enemy. The vines retreated into the ground as he disappeared into the trees.

Everyone stopped at the sound of a screeching noise.

Sasuke charged toward Itachi, Chidori lighting up his arm. Itachi substituted then went to punch from behind. Sasuke turned on his heel and thrust his arm toward Itachi. Itachi substituted himself again quickly, landing a few feet away as a log took the hit of the Chidori. Itachi darted forward, kunai in hand. Sasuke drew his own kunai and met Itachi halfway.

Akira seemed distracted by the two brother's fighting. Kisame took advantage of this and charged forward, his hands whipping through handsigns.

"Suiton: Suikoudan no Jutsu! **(1)**" He growled.

Water shot out from the lake in the form of sharks. Akira's eyes widened in surprise. They all hit her, sending her into the lake behind her. She landed in a deep patch of water, disappearing from view. Kisame jumped to where she had just been.

"Suiton: Daibakuryu! **(2)**" He cried.

The water around him swirled, creating a whirlpool, Kisame in the center. Once he was satisfied, he jumped back to shore and into the forest in an attempt to find Zetsu and his opponent.

Kai-Linn jumped over to the water and looked into the depths. Hikari raised a brow from the shore, watching suspiciously. Kai-Linn stuck her head into the water, looking around. It was no use; blurry vision. But something was very apparent.

Glowing yellow chakra.

* * *

Akira grabbed a quick breath as the water engulfed her. She swam toward the surface when a powerful current slammed into her. Bubbles escaped her lips in a flurry. Water surged down her throat. Darkness took over her.

"_Don't tell me you need my help again, little kitten." A voice rang in her head, ominous yet familiar._

'_You choose to help me. If I die, so do you.' She retorted silently._

"_Your words hurt. But I give you my power either way."_

_She opened her eyes. She was now in front of a large gate. Spikes lined the bars. Behind the prison-gate blazed bright yellow eyes. The ground below her shook as footsteps started toward the gate... toward her. She looked up expectantly._

"_Fine. Do as you will." She spoke up to the looming shadow._

_Yellow chakra bubbled from the bottom of the gate, snaking toward her. She closed her eyes, allowing it to swirl around her and swallow her up._

Her eyes shot open. She found the energy to shoot toward the surface. She caught a glimpse of Kai-Linn's shocked green eyes as she bursted out of the water. She landed in a crouch.

The Hachibi's chakra seemed to be bubbling. It surrounded her and formed four tails at her lower back. Kai-Linn staggered backwards, eyes wide with fright. Akira glanced at her once before glancing back on shore. Disappointment flowed through her when she saw that Kisame had bailed on their fight. Hikari was at the shore, staring in disbelief.

Suddenly, Kenji came shooting out from the forest, landing near Hikari. Kisame appeared, Samehada raised to kill. Hikari took a few steps toward him. Zetsu came out of the ground and snapped his fingers. Vines shot out of the ground and restrained Hikari. The navy haired kunoichi cried out in rage, struggling.

"See ya kid." Kisame growled to Kenji, going to stab him.

"**GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!**" A feral roar rang through the small beach.

Akira shot toward Kisame, fist drawn back. It landed on Samehada. The Shark-skinned sword absorbed some of the Hachibi's chakra. Akira jumped backwards, a low growl coming from her lips. Kisame blinked twice, ignoring Kenji's retreat. Zetsu didn't waste anytime wrapping the vines around Kenji as well.

Akira lunged to quick for Kisame to follow. A large fireball shot toward her, coming from Itachi and Sasuke's general direction. Akira didn't see it coming. It struck at her, making her crumple. Little did the Akatsuki know that the Hachibi's chakra was quickly working to heal the large burn. Akira hid her wound from view, listening as Kisame walked toward her.

Kai-Linn jumped back to shore, examining Akira with her Tsukigan. She noticed the chakra concentration toward the burn and her eyes widened. Kisame was almost upon Akira.

"Kisame! Look out!!" She cried.

Before he could react, Akira attacked.

She jumped to her feet, lunging at Kisame and punched him in the chest. He flew backwards, smashing through a large rock. Blood spurted from his lips as he landed. Then he fell silent.

"Kisame!" Kai-Linn cried, running over to him.

She staggered back a step.

Kisame's entire chest and neck were nothing but a mass of blood. The acidic chakra had burned him almost straight to the bone. His breathing came in quick gasps of pain. Kai-Linn shot a look over her shoulder before hovering her hands over Kisame's wound.

Akira darted forward, tackling Kai-Linn. She pinned Kai-Linn by the wrists to a tree with one hand, the other hovering at her neck. The chakra licked at her neck. Kai-Linn closed her eyes, biting back cries of pain as the chakra burned her. Akira looked at Kai-Linn with confusion.

"Kai-chan... why were you trying to help Fish Head?" She asked, her voice thick and distorted.

Kai-Linn cracked open her eyes before shuddering. She wasn't looking into Akira's eyes anymore. She was looking into the eyes of the monster that possessed her.

"Akira!!" Sasuke cried.

Akira turned toward him only to stare into Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she collapsed onto the ground. The chakra disappeared. Kai-Linn fell to her knees, blood seeping down her neck and wrists. Itachi walked over to Kai-Linn and shook her shoulder. She didn't react, but someone did.

"**Itachi!!!!**" Sasuke cried running toward his brother.

Itachi went into a defensive position, but stopped at a familiar voice.

"You are really pathetic, Weasel-kun."

A cloaked figure dropped in front of Sasuke, punching him with a chakra laden fist in the gut. Sasuke cried out, dropping to the ground. She knocked him hard in the back of the neck; he fell unconscious. The figure gave Hikari and Kenji the same treatment. Zetsu released the two before looking at the figure. The figure's hood fell off her head.

"Well well... this is quite a surprise." Zetsu remarked. "Kagemara Rorona."

"Shuddup, Zetsu." She snapped. "If you mention me at all to the others, I'll prune you."

"Funny." He grumbled.

"Kai-chan... sweetie, are you alright?" Rorona bent down and looked at the girl.

No response.

"Let's get to the extraction chamber." Rorona said.

Biting her thumb, Rorona did a string of handsigns. With a poof of smoke, a large three tailed fox was by her side. She gestured toward Kisame. It nodded and trotted over. Itachi placed Kisame on the fox's back before going for Akira. Rorona picked Kai-Linn up.

"Follow me." Itachi said, darting away.

* * *

When they reached the chamber, Rorona placed her hood back on and pulled up the scarf around her neck up to the bridge of her nose. She and the fox went to a small room, placing Kai-Linn and Kisame on the beds. After dismissing the fox, she glanced at both of them. Kisame's wound was fatal, so she worked with him first. She removed his cloak and shirt and summoned healing chakra. She let her hands hover over his chest. The green chakra flowed from her hand and into his chest. He had lung damage and three broken ribs, but she knew him; he would survive it.

Halfway through his healing, Itachi walked in.

"How is he?" Itachi asked; he sounded more curious than concerned.

"He'll be fine." She answered quickly, pulling bandages from a bag on her shoulder. She wrapped his chest tightly, the bandages immediately blotching from white to red. "Now for Kai-chan."

Rorona spun around and looked at Kai-Linn. The young girl was breathing raggedly. Lifting an arm gently, Rorona surrounded her hand in medical chakra again and hovered them above Kai-Linn's wrist. The damage was that of a third degree burn, but it wouldn't take that long to heal. Without warning, Tobi strode into the room.

"Tobi." Itachi said his name with a small hint of warning.

"Who is that lady, Itachi-sama? She doesn't look like anyone we know... why is she here?" Tobi asked, looking at the mysterious cloaked woman healing Kai-Linn.

"She is an old accomplice of mine, Tobi. She is simply here to heal Kisame and Kai-Linn."

"Jeezums Itachi-sama! Are most of your accomplices so old?" Tobi asked.

"**You little brat!!!**" Rorona cried, getting to her feet. She strode forward, grabbed Tobi's neck and pinned him to a wall. "HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT ME IN SUCH A MANNER!? IF I WANTED TO, I COULD CRUSH YOUR NECK HERE AND NOW!!!"

"Ra, calm yourself." Itachi ordered, placing a hand on Rorona's shoulder.

Rorona flinched at the sound of her nickname. She released Tobi and went back to Kai-Linn. Tobi rubbed his neck, glaring from under his mask at Rorona. The woman shivered. She glanced over her shoulder at him. Her eyes widened.

Out of the small hole in the whirlpool mask, a Sharingan eye glared at her.

"I guess I'll leave you be." Tobi grumbled. "I won't mention her to Leader-sama."

"Fine." Itachi growled.

Tobi left the room.

* * *

When Kai-Linn awoke, Itachi was at her side in an instant. He helped her sit up. She glanced around the room. Kisame was unconscious on a bed near her. The cloaked woman was standing against the wall. Kai-Linn glanced down at her wrists. They were bandaged; so was her neck.

"If you two don't hurry you'll miss out on all the _fun_." The woman grumbled.

"Right. Kai-Linn we have to go." Itachi added.

Kai-Linn got to her feet. She tottered for a moment then strode to the door. The woman walked up and handed her a small scroll; the Jinchurriki/Bijou Separation Jutsu scroll. Kai-Linn nodded. She slipped through the threshold, Itachi at her heels. He led her down a stone hallway to a circular room. In the center was a familiar orb with a set of hands holding it up. She flinched.

"Don't worry. You just have to place your hand upon it. It will give you some of your chakra from you initiation all those years ago." Itachi explained, walking up and placed his hand on the orb.

Chakra flowed up his arm and into his body. He pulled away and glanced at Kai-Linn. She walked up hesitantly then placed her hand on the orb. Warm chakra slipped from the orb and into her body. She closed her eyes as she slowly started to become rejuvenated. When she felt normal, she opened her eyes and stepped away. They headed down another hallway.

"So what is that scroll that Ror— Ra handed you?" Itachi mused.

"It's a scroll that separates the Jinchurriki and the Bijou's souls. Most of the interference of the extraction is that of the Jinchurriki's willpower. If you separate the two, there's less interference." She explained. He raised a brow. "We tested it out on Naruto. Granted, the Kyuubi wasn't removed but it still separated the two. And it's simple to just place the Jinchurriki's soul back into the body."

"I see... so you wish to save Akira."

Kai-Linn stopped.

Itachi glanced back at her. She glanced away, biting on her lip. "Maybe..." She whispered. He raised a brow. "I grew up with Akira-chan... I just can't let her... die like this..." She trailed off, tears brimming in her eyes.

"That's understandable... but when you become part of Akatsuki, your past disappears." Itachi smiled, rubbing his hand across her cheek.

"Alright." She nodded.

"C'mon." He continued down the hallway.

When they reached the end, the large statue stood loomingly over Akira. The hands sprouted from the ground on Akira's other side. Pein, Konan, Deidara, Mikori, and Hidan were on the fingers in their hologram forms. Zetsu and Tobi were the only ones that was actually there. Itachi jumped up to the right middle finger. Kai-Linn took a deep breath then walked up to Akira.

"What are you doing, Kai-Linn?" Pein immediately growled.

"I have a Jutsu that will shorten the extraction process. Without fully removing it, I tested it out on the Kyuubi Jinchurriki while in Konoha. It separates the Jinchurriki's soul and the Bijou's soul. Most of the interference in the extraction is because of the Jinchurriki's soul." She took another deep breath. "With your permission, I would like to use it during today's extraction."

Pein glanced at Tobi warily. The masked Shinobi nodded curtly. Pein looked at Kai-Linn. "You may do so."

Kai-Linn unrolled the scroll. After doing a few hand signs, she placed her hand in the center of the writing. From two square-in-circle designs appeared two black metal bracelets. She picked them up and slipped them on both of Akira's wrists. She slipped the scroll away and jumped up to the empty finger on the giant hands.

Kai-Linn executed the jutsu. The bracelets glowed brightly. One suddenly flared with yellow chakra, the other with blue. She did another jutsu and the blue chakra disappeared into a small gem on the bracelet. The other still flared with the Hachibi's chakra.

"Alright... let us begin." Pein ordered.

With that, everyone's hands weaved through handsigns. Blue dragon-like figures shot from the head's mouth, engulfing Akira. Her body rose into the air as it enveloped her. The yellow chakra from the bracelet flowed toward the giant head.

And with that, the process began.

* * *

_Jutsus used in chapter:_

**(1) Suiton: Suikoudan no Jutsu (lit. Water Release: Water Shark Bullet): **Water in the shape of a shark rushes towards enemies and drowns them.

**(2) Suiton: Daibakuryu (lit. Water Release: Great Exploding Current): **A great Whirlpool is created with the user of the jutsu at the center.

DV13: well... again i'm sorry for missing the deadline i set up last chapter... i won't set one up this time due to the fact my computer access will be limited the next few weeks.

Kisame: i can't believe you did that to me... you said you wouldn't!

DV13: i lied. get over it. check back soon! no idea when the next chapter will be up but i promise you it will come!


	14. Two Birds With One Stone

DV13: OMG!! LATE LATE LATE LAAAAAAATE!! I AM SO SORRY!!!! *bows continuously*

Kai-Linn: Instead of apologizing, couldn't you just give them the chapter? Seriously, your logic is so weird.

DV13: Shut it, Kai… but you're right. HERE COMES THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 14

Two Birds With One Stone

In small teams but a large collection nonetheless, Konoha and Suna Jônin and ANBU darted through the forest. Leading the group was Kijo, Neji, Kankuro, and Temari. They had heard of where Akatsuki was extracting the Hachibi. They had relayed the message to Suna, and Kazekage Gaara had sent Shinobi to assist Konoha.

"Hey, Kijo…" Kankuro started. "Where did you get this information anyway? It seems a little weird that someone could so easily report Akatsuki's movements."

"We have no clue who the report was from, but a raven had delivered it to Lady Hokage. It gave a detailed report on how to get to the extraction site. And since it's the Hachibi, Akira will be there, which means Orochimaru's men might be there."

"Two birds with one stone?" Temari chuckled.

"I guess that's the best saying." Kijo replied dryly.

_Kai-Linn… Akira… I will get back at you for your betrayal… revenge is a bitch…_ Kijo ground her teeth together and continued into the forest.

* * *

Sasuke darted across branches, Kenji to his right, Hikari to his left. They had been going for days like this with little rest, but they never complained. It was all for Akira. They had found a trail of Akatsuki, sent word to Konoha about it, then started toward the location themselves. If possible, they would destroy both of their enemies in one strike.

"Let's review the plan, for the sake of it." Kenji suggested.

"Kokuei has a point, Sasuke-san." Hikari agreed.

Sasuke stopped on a branch, the other two landing on ones in front of him, glancing back. With a sigh, Sasuke looked at them.

"Kenji will prowl around to see if any Akatsuki members are projecting from nearby. If they are, create a fire to signal both us and Konoha. At that time, Hikari will destroy the Akatsuki's area of operation. I'll move in to get Akira, then we'll retreat for a little to regain our strength. Then we end this war. If we don't make it… I'm glad to have you guys as teammates." Sasuke gave a rare smile.

"Heh, you're talking death rambles there, chicken ass. Remember, you still owe me a rematch." Kenji replied with a sarcastic smirk. "But, yeah. It was good to fight by you guys' side."

"Enough of this. You're going to make me cry…" Hikari's voice broke and a lone tear streamed down her cheek. "See?! This talk is bad for our karma…" She grumbled, wiping the tear away.

"Two birds with one stone, Kokuei… Kyuuketsuki… this ends today… Disperse." Sasuke ordered; Kenji and Hikari darted off in separate directions. Sasuke hesitated for a moment and bowed his head. "My family… I will kill him this time…" He hissed under his breath before darting into the trees.

* * *

Kai-Linn glanced around the stone room. It had been two days, and the extraction process was almost complete. Every once in awhile, someone would flicker out for a moment, but would return in an instant. But she had remained in the same position for 48 hours and she was hoping it would finish soon. If she left, her Jutsu would be broken and Akira would die.

"It is almost complete." Pein announced and she stifled a sigh of relief.

Five minutes later and the bracelet holding the yellow chakra shattered. And with that… the extraction was complete.

Kai-Linn teetered and fell off the stone finger. Itachi darted forward and caught her. She smiled up at him and he set her on her feet. She walked toward Akira. Both Itachi and Pein watched her, Pein almost glaring. She ignored the eyes watching her and fell to her knees in front of Akira. The blonde was still under the effects of Tsukuyomi but she was going to change that. She hovered her hands above Akira.

"Kai-Linn… what are you doing…?" Pein snarled.

Flinching, Kai-Linn took out the scroll, removed the remaining bracelet and sealed it away once again. She rolled up the scroll and glanced at Akira as she got to her feet. She wanted to heal Akira and get her to safety, but she was in hot water as it was so she remained standing.

"What the hell?!" Mikori cried and she disappeared. She reappeared and was grinding her teeth together. "I've got a huge fire right next to my location and I sense Konoha Shinobi coming my way."

"Damn… I've got the same situation." Deidara snarled.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Hidan roared. "Someone has given away my location as well!"

"Strengthen the barrier." Pein ordered Konan.

"Too late…" A soft bell-like voice said from the shadows. Out stepped Hikari. "Your barrier is pointless against me. It was like walking through the front door to my house." She smirked evilly. "Time to bring this house down…"

With a guttural cry, she spun around and planted her fist into the wall behind her. With a loud and almost sickening crack, the area around them started to shatter. The holograms flickered out. Tobi, Zetsu, Itachi and Hikari darted away. Kai-Linn turned around and darted toward Akira.

"Kai-Linn!!!!" She heard two people cry. One was Itachi… the other…

Rorona.

The woman darted forward toward her and Akira. She planted her hand on the ground and the ground shot up around them in a protective barrier. It became pitch black around them as the muffled sound of falling rock came from outside. But Kai-Linn was too entranced in the silver yellow color of the woman's eyes.

"You okay, sweetie?" She asked very motherly-like.

"Yes… mother…" Kai-Linn whispered.

Rorona's eyes widened for a moment before she smiled. The earthy barrier fell. Kai-Linn stood, smiling up at her mother. Rorona smiled as well, but her eyes narrowed in an instant. She grabbed Kai-Linn and darted away just as Sasuke landed near Akira, arm lit up with Chidori. His eyes bled to Sharingan. Itachi glared at Sasuke, then looked toward Rorona, who was on one knee, Kai-Linn behind her. Part of her leg was bleeding.

"Get away…" Sasuke snarled. Chidori disappeared and he grabbed Akira. He darted back into the trees, Hikari and Kenji following him. "I'm coming back for all of you bastards…" He snarled.

Itachi, Zetsu and Tobi landed near Kai-Linn and Rorona. Deidara, Mikori, Pein, Konan, and Hidan appeared as well. Kai-Linn froze when she realized that Kisame had never gotten out… A lone tear streamed down her face. She wiped it away quickly.

Deidara and Kai-Linn had a sense of déjà vu as they all were surrounded by Konoha Shinobi.

* * *

Sasuke landed in a clearing, setting Akira down gently. Hikari and Kenji appeared across from Sasuke looking down at her unmoving form. Hikari touched Akira's forehead. She closed her eyes.

"Her state of mind is a swirling chaos. She's under the effect of your brother's Tsukuyomi." She said, looking up at Sasuke.

Sasuke snarled and touched Akira's shoulder and inserted chakra into her. She moaned for a moment and started to fuss. Sasuke sat her up a little and watched her carefully. Soon, her golden eyes fluttered open. She looked up at him with a smile flickering across her face.

"Sasuke…" She whispered.

Sasuke hugged her tightly, ignoring the looks he got from Kenji and Hikari. He pulled away and looked down at her. She sat up completely and looked around.

"What happened? I remember fighting Kai-Linn… then everything went black…" She whispered. Seeming to concentrate, she closed her eyes and became still. "They've removed the Hachibi!!" She cried.

Kenji started to laugh. All eyes went to him.

"So what? You're a kick-ass Kunoichi with or without the damn thing. Sure it was cool when you had it but still. Frankly, I think you'd be dead if it weren't for that Kai-Linn chick." He smirked.

She stared up at him, then smiled. She got to her feet with Sasuke's help. She dusted herself off. Hikari handed her a slim bundle. Akira unwrapped it to reveal her black katana and white dagger. She unsheathed them and started to go through her moves. The others watched with a smile as she twisted and turned, slashing at invisible enemies. Being sneaky, Sasuke pulled out some kunai and threw them at her. She finished a slash before turning around and deflecting the kunai. She darted forward, knocked Sasuke down and crossed her weapons over his neck. He smirked.

"Still got it." She smiled and got up, sheathing her weapons. She helped him up.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and relayed the plan to her.

* * *

"Hey…" Deidara started, back to Kai-Linn's.

"What is it now?" She asked, deflecting a shuriken.

"I think I'm happy that you trained me in close range. These guys aren't giving me a chance to mold my clay birds… GAH!" He jumped away.

Kai-Linn spun around and planted a chakra-laden fist into the Suna ANBU that took Deidara's place. Deidara landed behind her again. She sighed.

"Whatever…" She said, glancing at the group that were about to outnumber them. Tsukigan lit up her eyes and she concentrated. "Katon: Karyu Endan!"

Flames spewed from her mouth and darted toward the enemy. Some were caught by the flames, others had darted away from it. Kai-Linn took out her purple katana. Chakra flashed to her hand and the sword elongated, snaking toward an ANBU. The ANBU dodged it and darted quickly toward her, punching her square in the stomach. She lurched into Deidara's back, sending both of them flying. She sat up and glared at the ANBU.

"I should have known you were here, Lee…" She snarled, getting to her feet.

"Hmph. I have always thought you a great Taijutsu user. I can't wait to test out your abilities." Lee chuckled, darting back toward her. She sheathed her sword and met his fist halfway. The air crackled.

"Konoha Hurricane!" He cried, ducking low.

Kai-Linn jumped over his leg, lashing out her own into his right cheek. He landed a few feet away, a line of blood slipping down his forehead. She bit her lip; she hated fighting old friends…

"…_.When you become part of Akatsuki, your past disappears…_"

Itachi had been right when he said that, but it still didn't erase memories. She didn't mean to, but she still hesitated. Lee noticed this and took the advantage. He stood, unwrapped the bandages a little and ran toward her. He kicked her up into the sky. She stared down at him as he darted up to her.

Before he reached her, something grabbed her by the shoulders.

Kai-Linn looked up at Deidara. He had finally formed a clay bird and that is what had her by the shoulders. Deidara extended a hand and Kai-Linn took it. He pulled her up to the bird's back. He dropped her near the border of the ruins. She watched him fly off toward Lee, throwing a salute over his shoulder, smirking sarcastically. She smiled faintly when she sensed the chakra.

She spun around and face Kijo, who had her puppet, {insert puppet name here}, summoned. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself, hoping to cast the same indifference Itachi always did when confronted by Sasuke.

"Kai-Linn…" Kijo seemed to snarl. Kai-Linn flinched a little at the malice. "I'm going to kill you…."

Kai-Linn's defense dropped at those words and Kijo attacked.

* * *


	15. A Mass Blood Feud

DV13: many moons ago, this story was to the point of being discontinued... but now... I'M BAAACK! Not that many people care; all my money (all 3.10 of it) is on that I've lost all of my reviewers somewhere through this road. And for that I apologize to those I've disappointed T.T now... on with the fifteenth chapter of Kuran no Kiri!!

Kuran No Kiri Chapter 15

A Mass Blood Feud!

Deidara spun around as a ball of fire exploded behind him. Kai-Linn's form was lit up as she jumped away from it. A glinting dragon-like form shot toward her, connected by chakra threads. Kijo's puppet. He spun the clay bird around and flew back towards her. A familiar chakra flashed behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at the Jinchurriki called Naruto lunging at him with a Rasengan in his hand. Deidara jumped off the bird, which flew away from the ninja in time, to free-fall to the ground. As he landed, an orange blur charged at him, fist drawn. So it had been a clone. He dodged the fist and delivered a kick of his own. Naruto grabbed his ankle and tried to throw him to the ground. Deidara got out of the hold and jumped away from the Kyuubi-vessel. Another familiar chakra was suddenly behind him… the one of an old enemy. He jumped up again onto the back of his clay bird just as a cloud of shuriken pierced the ground where he once stood. He looked down at the ground.

"So. The Kazekage joins the fight, un. But what can he possibly do without the Shukaku?" He chuckled to himself. He pulled out some clay and started to mold it with his chakra. "Oh well. The Kazekage isn't of much use; better let him go out… with a bang!"

He released the bird shaped bombs and directed them at the redhead. His blue eyes narrowed as sand shot up to protect the former vessel. Gaara looked up at him, unimpressed. But there was a spark in his eye that was deadly. Deidara smiled to himself, molding more clay.

This fight was going to get very interesting, very fast.

* * *

Kai-Linn twisted her body in midair, Kijo's Ryukarai** (1)** sailing underneath her. The hem of her coat was torn by its claws. It spun in the air and spit poison coated senbon out of its mouth. She used a substitution and hid behind a boulder. Kijo wasn't too far off, so she masked her chakra. She tried to calm her beating heart. She hadn't expected to fight her old comrade. She remembered the time she, Kijo and Akira had once been a team... they sparred, but never fought to kill. The sudden flare of chakra nearby made her roll away from the rock as Ryukarai slammed into it, splitting it in half. She moved her head as its stinger-like tail sailed at her. A deep gash spilled blood over her face and down her jacket, soaking her neck and shirt. Kijo stared unimpressed from not too far away.

"You've gotten slower, Kai-Linn. What's wrong?" She asked sarcastically.

The puppet's wings arched from its body, sharp blades shining in the light of the sunset. It flew toward her. She got to her feet and dodged from the metal body, wings grazing her stomach. She clasped her hand over it. She was getting slow. Her eyes flashed with the Tsukigan and she faced Kijo. She grabbed a deep breath as she jumped into the air, the dragon narrowly missing her legs. She let the handsigns flow from her mind into her chakra passages. She released the breath, creating a gale. The gale pushed Kijo and Ryukarai backwards and a good distance away. Before they could recover, she thought of handsigns and planted her hands onto the ground.

"Doton: Retsudo Tenshou** (2)**!" She cried.

Fissures cracked in spider web like designs towards Kijo. She and Ryukarai fell into one of the fissures. Kai-Linn fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around her stomach. The blood spilled down her jacket and through her fingers. She summoned up medical chakra and let it stitch up the wounds. She took a deep breath as the pain almost increased instead of leaving; poison? She pulled her hand away to find a grey liquid floating in her hand. Poison. She extracted the rest of the poison and healed the wound as much as she could. She healed her cheek just enough to stop the bleeding. As soon as she stopped, Kijo burst out of the fissure, hands illuminated with chakra with the chakra strings stretching to her puppet. Her eyes were narrowed angrily. The puppet charged at her, claws poised for ripping and coated in poison. Suddenly, something that resembled a whip of black lashed out and cut off the limbs of the dragon puppet. Shadows shot up from the ground and formed Rorona. The older woman held Kagetô, her trusty black bladed katana. Her eyes weren't lit up with the Tsukigan.

"I can't allow you to hurt her."

Kijo's eyes flared angrily. "Don't interfere with this! You have no idea what she and Akira did to me!" She yelled at Rorona.

Kai-Linn's eyes widened. What she and Akira had done… the words pierced her heart like a dagger.

"And what exactly…" Rorona replied, taking a few steps closer. "Did they do that grants you ability to kill them?"

"They _**abandoned**_ me!" Kijo yelled, tears glistening in her eyes. "Kai-Linn came back again, which just twisted the knife further when she left!! And Akira was stupid enough to go to Orochimaru because she wanted to get Kai-Linn back!"

Kai-Linn felt tears roll down her face. Kijo _never_ cried, especially during a battle. It showed how much she and Akira _had_ hurt her. How could they have done that… to their own friend? Kijo didn't seem to realize Rorona's approaching figure until she was right in front of her. Rorona slammed the hilt of Kagetô into Kijo's mid torso, knocking her out. Kai-Linn got to her feet and pulled Kijo's limp form over towards the forest. Rorona took the puppet parts and placed them in a pile with the scroll next to Kijo. When Kai-Linn turned around, Deidara came crashing to the ground a few feet away. She gasped and ran towards him. Blood was caked on his mouth and his left arm was soaked crimson, creating a puddle on the earth. He sat up slowly, coughing up globs of blood. There was a familiar battle cry.

"**RASENGAN!!**"

Kai-Linn pulled Deidara back as Naruto came forward, hitting the ground with the chakra ball. A crater formed under the sheer force. Naruto shot up in an instant, glaring hard at Deidara. But when he realized Kai-Linn was there, his eyes widened in surprise. Before he could even get a word out, sand shot from behind him and towards Deidara. Kai-Linn went to pull him away, but the sand followed. Rorona whipped Kagetô at the sand, halting its attack. Gaara appeared next to Naruto.

"Kai-Linn?" Naruto whispered. "Why…" His voice rose into a yell. "Why are you protecting him?! He's part of Akatsuki and…"

"So am I, Naruto!!" Kai-Linn cried, stepping around Deidara and into a defensive position. "Like it or not, they're my allies now… and… if you want to kill them, you've got to kill me too!"

Naruto stared in shock for a moment. Kai-Linn watched in minute fear as his sapphire eyes turned to the color of blood and his pupils thinned. Chakra was radiating from him. Rorona stepped forward, body tensed for a fight. Gaara stared at her before narrowing his eyes. Sand shot at her like a dagger, narrowly missing her body as she dodged. He blinked in surprise as his shadows wrapped around his ankles. The shadows lifted him into the air and tossed him farther away from Kai-Linn, Deidara, and Naruto. Sand cushioned his fall. Rorona had followed him and was standing in the half-light of twilight. The moon hadn't risen yet but Rorona seemed to be smiling about something.

"You're a little lucky, Kazekage-_sama_. Tonight, you get to witness the true power of the Tsukigan…" Rorona smiled. "Well… I guess that isn't very lucky."

Sand shot up as her sword stuck out like a snake's shadow. Gaara stared nonchalantly as sand wrapped around her ankle. Shadows cut her ankle loose and she was soon darting towards him at high speed. He placed his hand on the ground. Spires of sand shot up to slow her down. Rorona veered around them, unknowingly accumulating sand on her arms. As she finally closed in on him, he focused on the accumulated sand. He held out his hand before closing it to a fist. Rorona gave a snarl as the sand constricted on her arms. Shadows exploded from her arms, scattering blood splattered sand bits back to the ground. From the elbow down, shadows enveloped her skin like a protective gauntlet, tendrils flailing. Her eyes were glowing brighter than the moon slowly appearing in the sky. She bit hard into her thumb, planting the bloody digit to the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu."

In a poof of smoke, a snow white fox the size of a large horse stepped forward. Its all-red eyes flashed dangerously, three tails flailing in the air with purple fire burning on its tips. Before he could react, it was charging towards him with the speed its sleek body granted it. Sand shot up defensively and the body slammed into it, a dent forming in the shield. Gaara didn't flinch. He made a sweeping motion with his hand and the sand lashed out at the fox. The beast jumped high into the air, snarling. Purple fire shot from its maw, raining down like small meteors. Sand tendrils shot into the air, deflecting the flames. Gaara stared at Rorona as the woman started murmuring something under her breath. Sparks of the fire rained down around him. Rorona raised her hand in his direction.

"Katon Hijutsu: Amaterasu…"

Gaara's eyes widened. The woman wasn't an Uchiha. He had enough knowledge of the clan to know that Amaterasu was an ocular Jutsu only an Uchiha with the Mangekyou Sharingan could use. But the woman wasn't done yet.

"No Kami!"

The fire on the ground burst to life. It shot into the air, winding around like giant snakes. The flames interlinked above his head like a cage. Tendrils (god I love using that word) shot down and lashed dangerously near him. The heat was almost unbearable. Rorona stared at him from beyond the flames, smiling gently. The fox appeared beside her and she stroked its fur.

"There. Now maybe you'll learn. Let's see how long a desert rat can survive within such a heat."

"How did you use Amaterasu…?" Gaara asked nonchalantly.

The woman laughed. "Amaterasu? Idiot, no one outside of the Uchiha clan can use that technique. What I used was Amaterasu no Kami, an adaptation of that retched technique I created quite some time ago. The flames are like a branch of myself but the technique can only be activated during a very stressful or adrenaline pumping situation." The woman smiled. "The Kagemara clan's power is at its height during a Lunar eclipse. You just might get to see what happens after we unleash our power… but all in due time."

Rorona's smile became a leer as the flames grew larger.

Kai-Linn danced away from another Rasengan. It was hard to get onto the defensive with a half-conscious Deidara hanging on her shoulder. Her eyes lit up with the Tsukigan and the shadows wrapped around Naruto's legs. They broke apart in a flare of chakra and he was upon her again. Focusing, two Kai-Linn clones melted up from the ground and took Deidara before darting into the woods. Kai-Linn side stepped Naruto's next attack and swung a roundhouse kick. The chakra surrounding him bubbled slightly and she stopped mid-kick. She remembered the last time Jinchurriki chakra had come in contact with her. Naruto's red eyes locked on with hers and she became frozen. She saw the pain in his eyes that attacking her was causing. She saw the feeling of betrayal he felt. Tears pricked in the back of her eyes and she shook her head to fight them back. But he had seen them; the shocked look on his face told her that.

"Kai… you don't have to do this. We can find a loop…"

"Naruto… I…" A choke came instead of the words she wanted to say.

The familiar feeling of steel sliding through skin bloomed into a searing pain that rooted from in between her stomach and heart. Naruto's wide crimson irises were the last thing she saw before her legs gave out and she was swallowed by the darkness underneath her lids.

* * *

Naruto stared in shock as the four silver claws ripped out of Kai-Linn's bleeding form. Kijo's Ryukarai collapsed in a heap to the ground, wavering chakra strings still attached. From the forest, Kijo's form was collapsed against a tree. Her eyes fluttered closed in exhaustion. The Kyuubi's chakra faded from him and he found himself crouched over Kai-Linn. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her once. Her head lolled back as a cough erupted a glob of blood over her mouth. The blood from her middle was seeping nonstop. But he knew it would stop and when it did…

"Kai-Linn!! Wake up!!" He cried, his voice drowned out by the fighting all around. But someone heard him.

Itachi's eyes wavered from Sasuke for a moment, staring at Naruto's form. Itachi winced as Sasuke's blade sliced through his side. He let out a flurry of fireballs, which seemed to distract Sasuke if only for a moment. He sprinted towards Naruto, feeling Sasuke quickly approaching. But a flurry of fire bomb kunai rained down and created a delay in Sasuke's pursuit. As he reached Naruto, his eyes widened at the blood covering his jacket sleeves. The body he was perched in front of was Kai-Linn. Her jaw was smothered in blood like her middle. Her breaths were coming out shaky and broken. His hand went around Naruto's throat.

"Who. Did. This?!" He asked, eyes sparking dangerously.

"K-Kijo… she attacked Kai-Linn while she was talking to me and… and I…" Naruto started to stammer hysterically. "You have to help her!" He screamed frantically.

Itachi released the boy and stared. Naruto was back to mumbling incoherently over Kai-Linn's convulsing body. He hadn't expected such a reaction from the vessel… they must've been friends back in the village. A flare of chakra sparked him into an even more serious mood.

"I will help her, Kyuubi vessel. But you must distract my little brother long enough for me to do so." He ordered, picking Kai-Linn up into his arms. "Rorona!!"

The woman frowned, releasing her Jutsu and bolting to Itachi's side. Gaara collapsed, his body convulsing with heavy breaths as sweat rolled down his face. The heat from the Jutsu was almost three times as bad as Suna. He felt his energy drain as the cold night air hit him and he blacked out. The last thing he saw was the moon shining down on him.

Naruto looked up at the two in surprise. So that woman was Kai-Linn's mother… He wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded. Getting to his feet, he jumped over them to face an approaching Sasuke. Not even bothering to turn, he spoke directly to Itachi.

"If she dies… I'll kill you before Sasuke gets the chance."

The only response was a small gust of wind before Sasuke landed in front of Naruto.

"Naruto… don't get in my way." He snarled.

"Sasuke-teme." Naruto started solemnly before going into a fighting stance. "I'm much more powerful than the time you left. The only way you go on is through my dead body."

Sasuke glared, eyes flaring with Sharingan as his arm lit up with electricity. "Very well."

Not to far off, Tobi stood on high on a tree, staring at the carnage of the multiple battles occurring beneath them. He smirked as Naruto and Sasuke's fight caught his eye. Deidara was somewhere in the woods, having crawled deeper in before blacking out. Kijo was still half dead against the tree. Konoha and Suna fought against Pein and the others. But his eyes watched as Itachi and Rorona ran with a corpse-like Kai-Linn in arm. He smirked.

"Where will all this take us this time?" He mumbled, maliciously smiling, almost leering underneath his mask. "A lunar eclipse is almost upon us… and the Kyuubi vessel is all that is remaining… soon… this world shall be mine to rule…"

He laughed darkly before jumping from the tree and to the battlefield below.

* * *

Itachi glanced over his shoulder in surprise. Behind them, a huge chakra signature appeared, followed by a huge explosion that rocked the earth even from so far away. He stopped to look back at the orange, yellow, and red fire blooming from behind. Kai-Linn's shaking body made him look away and keep running. Rorona followed quietly, but she was mumbling a name over and over under her breath.

_Madara..._

* * *

_Jutsus used in Chapter:_

**(1) Ryukarai (Dragon Puppet):** Kijo's main puppet weapon

**(2) Doton: Retsudo Tenshou (lit. ****Earth Release: Split Earth Turn Around Palm):** A basic technique of the Iwagakure Ninja. Chakra is concentrated in the palm of the hand and used to open up fissures in the earth

New chapter will be up soon YAY! Writers block is gone and i have a plan *dramatic music* review pleeeeeeease i'm sorry i disappointed you all with the tardiness


	16. Remembrance

Authors Note: This chapter is mainly Itachi's flashbacking on what happened in Past and Present in his perspective (but not the entire fic; just the basics). Once the italics start, you are free to skip to the next chapter, but I'd like it if you read this one. Enjoy.

* * *

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 16

Remembrance

* * *

Itachi looked down at Kai-Linn. She was still bleeding profusely. Rorona attempted a healing, but a Jutsu she had used had almost drained her completely of chakra. Within fifteen minutes, the three wounds were bleeding again. He started to feel warmth spread on his front, arms and hands. He didn't know where they were going. But Rorona was giving him a run for his money in terms of speed. The woman kept glancing back to make sure they were keeping up. A heavy rain had started and Itachi was finding it hard to see. Rorona banked to the left and he barely made out a small cabin. She slipped in and he followed after her. She lit some candles and started a large fire in a pit in the center of the cabin. A bed was sitting, unused, to the side. Some chopsticks, pots, and pans were stacked neatly by Rorona. She pulled out bandages, thread and sutures from a compartment in the floor.

"Put her on the bed, Itachi. I'll sew the wounds up."

Itachi put her down, taking off her coat in the process. Rorona pulled out a kunai and cut away Kai-Linn's shirt. The three cuts were worse then Itachi first thought. The blood percolated once before stopping its flow. Rorona grabbed the suture and thread and started to expertly sew up the wounds. About half and hour later, she asked him to attempt healing. He tried and managed to close some of the wound. Rorona cleaned the area of blood and wrapped bandages around her stomach before covering her with a blanket. She leaned back and sighed heavily.

"This won't go over well. You know that right?"

"Yes, I suppose it won't." He sighed.

"I never knew I would be on the run _again_." She sighed before chuckling lightly. "At least I've got a good-looking partner in crime this time around."

Itachi didn't respond.

* * *

_The wolves were howling loudly that night. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he slung his cloak onto his body and started to leave. But he sensed a weakening chakra near the wolves. As he started towards the howls and the chakra, he saw a child collapsing on the ground. The wolves sprung at her. He barely thought as he darted forward, slicing at them with a kunai. He glared at them from under his straw hat, activating his Sharingan. The pack ran. He looked back at the girl and ordered her to wake up. Her eyes fluttered dazedly open and he started in surprise. Her eyes were a brilliant green, similar to Rorona Kagemara, whose file he had been looking at a few days ago. She looked up at him_

"_Who are you?" He asked, keeping his voice calm and monotone._

"_Uh..." She swallowed hard, summoning up a bit of courage. "I'm K-Kai-Linn Kagemara."_

_His blood red eyes narrowed. She was Rorona's child... he knew it. He had studied about the 'Konoha's True Shadow.' At a young age, she had left the village for the Akatsuki. About nine years ago, she had left the Akatsuki. He had heard a rumor that Rorona had gotten pregnant... he didn't think that it was true. She died while giving birth. Suddenly, her eyes closed and she passed out. Picking her up, he brought her back to the base. She could prove useful… very useful._

Itachi jolted awake, rain pounding on the roof of the cabin. Why did he dream of that night? He looked over at Kai-Linn. She was almost motionless, save for the soft rise and fall of her chest. He reached out a hand and gently stroked her hair. Her light copper skin had lost color and he made out dark violet rings under her eyes. Were she slightly thinner, her cheekbones would be obvious on the planes of her face. He recalled at how she had nearly passed out after the extraction process; almost two days without rest and constant chakra use… she was in terrible condition. He felt a light pang of guilt in his stomach. He glanced at the sleeping Rorona; what would they do if Kai-Linn's condition got worse? He kissed Kai-Linn on the forehead before getting to his feet and heading outside. Masking his chakra, he looked up at the purple-grey skies and let the cold rain pour down his face. He hated the rain… it made him think of all those years ago…

_Itachi glanced back at Kai-Linn. At the time, she was about eleven with a small body and short, cropped hair. She kept up with him as they ran through the forest. Unbeknownst to her, they were making a beeline for Konoha. When he stopped for her to catch her breath, she caught sight of a white sign on a nearby road. He stifled a groan._

"_Konoha Village... mile marker..." Her eyes widened. She turned to him, emerald eyes wide. "No... I-Itachi-sama, I don't wanna go back. Please don't make me go back." Her voice came out in a small, fearful, whisper. It hurt him to hear it._

_He jumped down and motioned for her to follow. She reluctantly landed by his side, her eyes still wide. He turned to her, crouching down so he could make eye contact. He placed his hands on her shoulders. He started to close his eyes, calling upon the chakra he needed for his Sharingan. A pang of guilt clutched at his chest. "I'm sorry... but you are in danger if you stay with us at the Akatsuki."_

_Kai-Linn pulled away from his grasp. He stopped what he was doing and looked at her, trying to remain impassive. Her eyes were brimming with tears. He sighed, turning away and darting back into the forest. He sensed her following close behind. As he jumped over the wall around Konoha, he knew she hesitated before following. They wound through the trees of the village before stopping._

_They were at the training grounds. He took in the familiar tree stumps, river, and memorial stone before looking back at her. He stepped up to her, looking solemnly down at her. She stared up at him as he closed his eyes. He started to focus his chakra once again._

"_Like I said, it's quite dangerous for you to be with the Akatsuki... for now, I'll have to erase most of your memories... I apologize for this..." He explained._

_He opened his eyes. Kai-Linn would see the comma-shaped Sharingan markings mold together to form a pinwheel shape. He felt the familiar stinging pain in the back of his eyes as the Jutsu was cast. Her eyes drooped and her small frame crumpled into his arms._

Itachi forced the memory from his head. It was almost nine years ago… did it really matter what he did to her then? He sighed heavily, knowing that _it_ _did_ matter. When he saw her again, it pained him that he couldn't just take her back.

_He left Kisame behind, going for the slightly familiar chakra signature. It was so familiar it made his heart beat quickly. He started to hear a soft melody, played expertly on a flute. As he approached the chakra signature, the melody became louder. He came to a stop in front of a large, sturdy, old oak. As he walked toward it, Sharingan activating, his foot came in contact with something. He looked down and picked up the black ceramic flute sitting amongst the fallen leaves. A branch snapped overhead and he instinctively looked up. He saw the chakra signature._

_Suddenly, Kai-Linn dropped down from the tree in front of him._

_He deactivated his Sharingan and automatically reached toward her. It hurt him to see her flinch from his touch. He pulled the pins holding her hair up and let it tumble down to her shoulders. He pulled his hand back, barely touching her neck. She started to speak and her words cut him deeply._

"_Who… are you?"_

Leaning against the cabin, he ran a hand through his hair. He had gotten mad after those three words and went so far as to use a downscale version of the Nightmare Realm. She had gone to the hospital, where he attempted to visit her… and failed. But then he and Deidara infiltrated Konoha's ranks so easily… by going to a masquerade ball. He groaned. She had looked beautiful, hair pulled into a loose bun with locks of hair falling against her shoulders and face. The blue-grey dress had made her skin look darker and the moonlight coming in from one of the windows made her look ethereal. Once they subdued her, they brought her back to the Akatsuki's main base of operations. He gave her three days to regain her memory, but she only succeeded in getting bits and pieces; names, parts of scenarios. So he deactivated the seal he had placed on her memory. After five days, she awoke and was like the Kai-Linn she was before; playful, cunning… dangerous. But she was changed by the innocence planted in her by Konoha. She wasn't exactly the same, but close enough. He smiled when he remembered how she wanted to spar and train the moment she awoke…

_He sensed Kai-Linn step outside. Taking a deep breath, he shot into the air, releasing a volley of kunai. When he landed, all of the targets, even those hidden, had been hit dead center. As she removed her cloak to spar with him, he decided to throw a spare kunai at her. She caught it in between two fingers with ease and snapped it in Deidara's direction. That got him set off and they started to have a Ninjutsu spar. Seeing the Kagemara clan's Jutsu in action was somewhat intimidating and left Itachi in silent awe. Kai-Linn defeated Deidara in under fifteen minutes. As they prepared for a sparring match, Kisame, Sasori, and Kakuzu came out to watch… to observe Kai-Linn. Their sparring went on for quite awhile. She was strong, even as a thirteen-year-old. He worked hard to fight back her attacks and retaliate. He found himself growing fonder of her… when she tackled and then straddled him, he felt a heat burning through his veins. But as soon as it started, she got to her feet and headed back to her room. _

_Not soon after, Konan discovered Kai-Linn in excruciating pain caused by a dormant curse mark._

_Pein called a meeting to explain what happened to Kai-Linn and what should be done. The news of the mark made Itachi's heart sink. When Kisame suggested sending Kai-Linn back to Konoha, rage boiled inside of him. He wouldn't send Kai-Linn back there… what if she didn't come back? But if someone at Konoha didn't seal the mark… he nodded his head. Slowly, everyone else agreed to the idea, if somewhat half-heartedly._

"_Should I erase her memory?" He asked, pain shooting through his heart._

"_It would be twice as hard to get her back… don't erase her memory." Sasori concluded and everyone agreed._

_After the meeting, he went to Kai-Linn's room. She looked pale in the moonlight and he made out the shape of the mark on her shoulder. He woke her up and the smile she gave him made guilt grip his stomach._

"_Something wrong, Itachi-san?" She asked him and it pained him to reply._

"_You're going back..." He murmured. "Back to Konoha... We need to get your curse mark under control... Pein could only put a temporary sealing, and we don't know how long it'll last... We know Kakashi is an expert at sealing Jutsus so we'll send you back for about a year... hone your skills in that time, then, I'll come back for you..."_

_Emotions flashed in her eyes, one after another; shock, confusion, pain, and finally, they hardened into a determined look. She gave him a brilliant smile and they were off._

_As they approached Konoha, he stopped. He looked back at Kai-Linn and came close to her. He fingered the necklace charm in the shape of the kanji for darkness. It was warm in his grasp and the look in her eyes was somewhat appalled. Suddenly, she hugged him. The feeling of her hands on his back and her head buried in his chest made the warmth in his veins return. He sifted a hand through her hair and forced chakra into her body. She became lax in his arms. He ended up taking the necklace._

_Three years passed sluggishly. Pein kept putting off retrieving her and each procrastination made Itachi more and more irate. After the one year mark, he went to go see her. But ANBU ranks were on high alert for some reason and he had to leave before he could even search for her. The next two years were painful. But finally, Pein ordered the retrieval of Kai-Linn. They set out immediately for Konoha. He infiltrated while the others distracted Konoha guards. When he and Kai-Linn saw each other, he was somewhat shocked to see Kai-Linn wearing a Snake ANBU mask. He darted in front of her, necklace in hand. She darted out of grasp and went to draw her katana. But he was behind her, grabbing her sword hand with his and removed her mask. He instinctively stroked a strand of hair. When he released her, he was shocked when she aimed her katana at him._

"_Uchiha Itachi… under orders of the Hokage…" She said, placing her mask back on her face. "I am to kill you."_

_The words hurt him… cut him deep… and then they started to fight. She had improved, which he pointed out. But she became angry and lunged at him. Avoiding her attacks, he questioned her as to why she didn't return? She justified it with a fact; she'd become an ANBU that rivals his own strength in Konoha's eyes. Before Itachi could retort, Tobi had shown up. Kai-Linn seemed relieved and lunged at Tobi, poised to kill. He kicked her away, sending her flying into the main gate's wall. Unfortunately, this would start a battle he didn't want. He and Kai-Linn were fairly matched in a battle… then Kisame joined in the battle and Kai-Linn was wounded heavily. Itachi felt his rage building as Kisame kicked Kai-Linn and made her cough up blood. Suggesting a thorough chakra drain, Kisame went to strike her with Samehada. Itachi was about to stop him when Kai-Linn's chakra flared, sending up a cloud of dust and sending Kisame flying. When the dust cleared, a bubble of what looked like shadows surrounded Kai-Linn. Itachi found he couldn't move and just stared as the bubble shattered in an array of dark colored fragments of light. Kai-Linn rose and Itachi could only stare in bewilderment. Somehow… Kai-Linn was in the second form of her curse mark. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She looked dangerous and beautiful at the same time. The blood running off her now black/brown skin from the rain. Her auburn hair, almost black, trailing like tendrils down her frame and to the floor. The angel and dragon wing, two opposites, spreading from her back. And her eyes… no longer emerald green but a glowing, moonlight/yellow color. But then she started attacking the Akatsuki; first Kakuzu, then Zetsu and finally Deidara. He ran to stop her as she tightened her grip on Deidara and stabbed his leg with a kunai. The way she spoke after he kicked her was somewhat… taunting and alluring at the same time. But he couldn't let her antics continue; he knocked her out and they left for the base._

Itachi sighed heavily. He moved back into the cabin and stared down at Kai-Linn. Color was flushing back into her skin and he smiled as he sat down. He couldn't remember her being so pale before… then he remembered when she was working undercover for Danzo…

_He couldn't help notice her skin was a pallor that it normally was. Her hair was cropped short and her smile seemed somewhat forced. Was this really the girl he let get captured by Danzo two years ago? She was… sixteen now? Yes, around there. Yet she had knowledge and wisdom beyond her years. Even as she sparred against Kisame, it seemed that the snow around them was darker than her. He felt a pang of worry course through him; what had happened when she was being held by Danzo? As he slipped into their tent and lay on his sleeping bag, his mind was still reeling. But when he sensed her leaving, he got up and followed._

_Only to find her talking with a ROOT operative._

_The pain of betrayal tickled at his stomach as they talked. But anger boiled in his veins when he heard Kai-Linn's objective; to kill him. When the operative left, he pulled a kunai out and threw it at Kai-Linn. The anger and pain rolling through his stomach was like poison and he found himself stepping out of the shadows with a kunai drawn. He was angry enough… to threaten her life. But she had proved stronger… or he was weaker… he never understood how he ended up with a kunai in his chest. Maybe it was because he knew he loved her and couldn't hurt her. To lose her was to lose his mind… he couldn't kill her. Whatever the reason, when he awoke, she was gone and had left him a note claiming her love. And that was the last he heard of her for three years…_

Itachi shifted so he could watch Kai-Linn. The necklace he gave her hung a little above the center of her chest. Blue chakra glowed from it. He leaned back against the wall of the cabin and closed his eyes. 


	17. Awakening Something Part 1

Kuran no Kiri 17

Awakening Something  
_Part One

* * *

_

Tobi looked reproachfully at the crater below him. Corpses littered the earth and half-dead survivors crawled over each other towards the medics that escaped the blast. Deidara lay on the ground by Tobi's feet, passed out from blood loss. Zetsu stood off to the side, yellow eyes watching as enemies started to retreat. Hidan, Konan, and Mikori had hidden themselves and masked their chakras in the woods. Someone was watching Tobi and the half-collapsed Pein. Tobi leaned down and grabbed Pein by the collar. He stared at him with a disapproving look on his face. Pein stared back, but with the look of a angered subordinate with little power to stop the higher up. Tobi lifted him and slammed his back into a tree. Pein winced, a head wound spilling fresh blood.

"You said you wouldn't fail me." Tobi hissed in a malicious tone. "I wanted the Kyuubi today, Nagato! The eclipse is only a few days away and I have yet to have all my pieces in place."

"Forgive me, Madara-sama." Pein rasped. "I'll retrieve him next time. I promise."

"See that you do." Tobi snarled, dropping Pein roughly to the ground. "Also… Itachi and Kai-Linn are to be killed next time we see them." Pein only nodded. But Tobi/Madara had the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he had a plan forming. He smirked under his mask. "Actually… I have a plan…"

Not too far off, Sasuke was lying face down in the dirt. His face and shirt were stained with blood as he glared venomously at the forest line. He grabbed Kusanagi off the ground and pushed himself to his feet. Next time he saw Naruto… he would kill. Not only had he gotten in his way, stopping him from killing Itachi, he beat him in battle… No, Sasuke wasn't about to accept this without dying on the spot. He let out a shrill whistle and was joined by Kenji, Hikari and Akira. Hikari was covered in blood but from what he could see, none of it was hers. Her eyes were sparking with energy and smiling jubilantly. Kenji had a large cut in his side and a bruised cheek, but the majority of blood was on his sword. Akira stood off to the side, blood dripping off her swords, with only a streak of blood slipping from her scalp. Sasuke thrust Kusanagi into its sheath and darted into the forest, letting his group follow. The moment they ran, Kakashi and Pakkun landed where they had just stood. Pakkun took in a great deal of breath before starting towards the forest. But he stopped. Kakashi stared down at him curiously as he looked into the forest, ears perked and alert. Then he heard her. Kijo.

"Kakashi…"

He looked around until he saw moonlight glinting off her puppet's claws. He darted over, followed by Pakkun, before finding her. The puppet was a mess of metal scattered on the ground, the Kairaiyose scroll lying on the ground unused. A bloody hand reached with great effort to grab the scroll. He followed the hand up to a burnt and bloody arm before staring into the blood splattered face of Kijo. Her eyes were dull as they focused on him and then back to the scroll. He crouched down and handed it to her. She dropped some blood on the scroll and the puppet disappeared. Her eyes were shining with tears. A cloud moved away from the moon and he nearly fell over. Her right side had been burnt to a dark pink, blood smeared and leaking from blisters and torn skin. A piece of rubble from the explosion a few minutes ago had embedded itself into her side, splattering more blood into the puddle around her. He hollered for a medic and crouched down next to her. He touched the left side of her face and she tried to focus on him with difficulty. Her breathing, now that he was closer, was ragged and uneven. He stared in worry as her left hand came up to touch his. She tried to smile but only succeeded in a painful grimace.

"You… looked… sh…shocked." She rasped. She coughed up a glob of blood onto her lap. "T…That… bad… Kakashi…?" Her voice went below a whisper.

"Nah… I've seen worse." He lied with a forced joking tone. She didn't respond. "Kijo? Please don't fall asleep."

"…not… sleepy…" She whispered before going still.

"Where's that medic?!" He hollered. "Kijo? Come on, wake up."

There was no response… Kakashi knew he wouldn't get one…

* * *

Itachi woke up to Kai-Linn groaning in her sleep. He looked over at her in worry. His Sharingan depicted her chakra fluctuating from dangerously low to drastically high. Her face was flushed with color and haggard in pain. Suddenly, her eyes shot open, bright with Tsukigan, and gasped. Her hands flew up to her left shoulder and dug at the skin. Black marks started to spread from under her fingers. He grimaced; the seal Kakashi put on her six years ago was weakening? He turned to Rorona, who was starting to wake up. Unsure, he placed his hands over Kai-Linn's and pried them off her skin before she drew blood. Her fingers wove through his and squeezed tightly. He looked at the now visible mark, which was glowing faintly like fire. He gave her hand a squeeze and he watched as she slowly started to relax. Her eyes became half-closed and her grip became lax. She sluggishly looked up at him and gave a weak smile. Itachi folded her hands on her stomach and pressed his lips to hers. He felt her lips pull into a smile as she kissed him back. He pulled away when she blacked out. The burn in his veins… he remembered their kiss by the lake… months ago? He felt the feeling to kiss her again, to feel the supernova burning through his every pore, to have her body in his arms…

Itachi looked towards the door. He sensed someone approaching, their chakra amateurishly masked. He blew out the candles that served as light and peered out the window. He could barely make out anything in the sunless morning. Slowly, he saw a black and orange clad figure; Uzumaki Naruto. Casting a glance back at Kai-Linn and Rorona, he stepped outside. Naruto stared at him for a moment, then back at the cabin. He turned on his heel and darted into the forest. Itachi glanced at the cabin for a moment before following after Naruto. Kai-Linn and Rorona would be fine until he got back.

A few minutes of following later, Itachi and Naruto landed in the courtyard of a burnt down temple. Naruto turned and glared at him, but not in a threatening manner. Itachi stared back at him, both remaining silent for a few moments. Finally, the Kyuubi vessel spoke.

"Is she…"

"Kai-Linn is fine. She will survive her wounds." Itachi interrupted.

Naruto blinked, as if shocked, before sighing happily. "Thank God! I was afraid I was gonna hafta kill you if she didn't." He gave a goofy grin. "Y'know, we should work together. I don't think your 'buddies' like you anymore; we can protect Kai-chan AND bring down Akatsuki!" Itachi searched for any signs of deceitfulness. Finding no reason to doubt him, he nodded. Naruto's smile became wider.

Itachi stepped back a step. There was a sudden disturbance in Naruto's chakra and he sensed Tobi. He swore to himself; he let his defenses fall when he and Naruto stopped at the courtyard. He realized chakra signatures were roughly surrounding them. And now that he focused more, he swore again. He hadn't been following Naruto at all…

He had been set up.

* * *

Kai-Linn's eyes cracked open. Where was she? She remembered talking to Naruto in the heat of battle… and then the pain in her middle… she felt a stinging in her abdomen. Had she blacked out after Kijo's puppet had run through her? What happened to Naruto? Itachi? She traced her lips with her fingertips, faintly remembering kissing Itachi… so faint it was like a dream. She turned her head to stare at Rorona, who was resting against a wall of a wood cabin they were in. She was worried about Itachi's absence. He didn't leave her, did he?

Loud banging on the door jolted Rorona awake. The woman grabbed the katana laying next to her and slipped towards the door. She unsheathed the blade and poised it in front of the door, eyes alight with Tsukigan. Whoever was at the door… they were about to be impaled straight through the heart… A familiar female voice called from the other side of the door.

"Kai-Linn! I know you're in there! Open up!!"

Rorona paused to glance over at Kai-Linn. Kai-Linn sat up slowly, clutching at her middle. The girl started pounding on the door again, voice raising an octave. "Kioma?" Kai-Linn called out and the banging stopped, followed by a groan.

Rorona opened the door a crack and gasped in shock. She threw open the door so Kai-Linn could see. In the misty, sunrise light, Kioma stood in the doorway with a limp figure in her arms. Blood was caked on her clothes and face, tears slicing through the crimson. She stepped into the cabin and Kai-Linn recognized a blood-stained Deidara. His hair had red streaks through it and his cloak was torn and stained. Kai-Linn looked at Kioma in horror. Rorona snatched Deidara away as Kioma's knees buckled and she collapsed. She took a deep, shaking breath before shouting information that made Kai-Linn's blood run cold.

"A trap!" Kioma gasped. "Itachi and Naruto are going to be killed!!"

Kai-Linn never felt the burn from her shoulder. She felt control drain from her body, replaced by rage. She was soon running through the forest, hair whipping behind her. Underbrush clung and tore at her cloak. She furiously ripped it off and continued running. She kept her senses alert. She kept close attention to the chakra heat coming from the necklace. She finally sensed Itachi's chakra and bolted for it. She had to hurry… she wasn't going to let Itachi die.

Not too far behind her, Naruto was following. He'd sensed Kai-Linn's chakra a few minutes ago and went after her. He was worried about her and what Itachi had done with her. He caught sight of a tattered Akatsuki cloak but kept running. He caught sight of Kai-Linn and strained his legs to catch up with her. When he did, he recoiled at the anger etched on her expression. His eyes traveled down to her middle, where her grey shirt was starting to become stained dark. Her wounds had reopened. But she didn't seem to register it, eyes glaring ahead as she ran. Naruto reached out and grabbed her arms to stop her. They tumbled to a stop, Naruto straddling her. He pinned her wrists to the ground as she started to thrash.

"Kai-chan, stop!" He hollered. "You'll kill yourself!"

"Those bastards are about to kill Itachi!!"

"Let them!"

"I can't let that happen, Naruto! I love him! I-"

Naruto went sailing into a tree.

Kai-Linn's eyes snapped up to the looming figure that was Kisame. Samehada writhed in its bandages as he stepped over Kai-Linn and over towards Naruto. As he staggered to his feet, Kisame swiped him back to the ground with Samehada. She heard a few ribs crack as Naruto landed, his breath leaving him in loud gasps. Blood splattered on the ground in front of Naruto and he groaned. Kisame struck Naruto again, Samehada sapping his chakra. Naruto became still. Kisame picked up his limp form and glanced over at Kai-Linn. He started to laugh cruelly. She raised a brow.

"Wonder how Itachi would've reacted to that! Such a shame too. If the brat didn't stop you, Itachi might've survived another day!" He laughed again before darting into the woods.

Kai-Linn felt her heart sink. All her rage was swallowed by grief. Was Itachi dead? She felt tears burn in her eyes. Before they could spill, she got to her feet. She reached up for the necklace; it was cold. Turning on her heel, she ran for the area his chakra was last. She ran up the steep temple stairs, morning mist dissipating as she climbed. When she reached the top and saw the courtyard, she became still.

The courtyard was a mess of blood, craters, and rubble. Fires flickered on patches of grass and trees. Her eyes went to the motionless figure in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by a pool of blood. Tears were streaming down her face now. She had to move, yet found herself immobilized. Her legs gave out and she crumpled into the small puddle of blood seeping from her middle. The pain started to come back into her body. She looked at the body of Itachi before looking up at the sky. The sun continued to rise and not a cloud dotted the sky. Her world felt like it was falling apart and yet nature was so peaceful…

Kai-Linn let out a scream that pierced the sky and echoed through the vast forest, as if cursing the heavens.

Rorona landed behind Kai-Linn, seemingly out of nowhere. She surveyed the courtyard before her eyes landed on Itachi. She walked over to him and checked vitals. He was gone, a huge hole punched through his gut. Something moved in the corner of her eye and she saw a tiny black beetle crawling from his wound. Her eyes narrowed and she sensed chakra in the beetle…

"Naruto… we need to save him…" Kai-Linn murmured, arm wrapped around her middle and soaked in blood.

Rorona crouched down in front of her. "Of course, honey." She crooned, worry laced in her tone. "But first, we must heal your stomach." Rorona moved Kai-Linn's arm and placed her hands over her middle.

A few minutes later, they were headed back to the cabin. Kai-Linn was quiet, almost depressively so. Rorona stared ahead, eyes and ears open for any sign of an attack. None came at first. As the cabin came into sight, Rorona sensed someone. She spun around as a flurry of kunai came sailing at them. She tackled Kai-Linn and pressed their bodies to a tree. They stood their for a few moments, adrenaline pumping, until the attacker left. Rorona pushed herself away and looked around. No one else was there. Kai-Linn and Rorona headed towards the cabin. Suddenly, three kunai sailed past them and into the windows of the cabin.

The small wooden hut exploded, sending chunks of wood into the air.

Rorona and Kai-Linn stared in shock. Rorona cast a glance at Kai-Linn, whose green eyes were wide in horror. Kioma and Deidara had been in cabin, resting… Kai-Linn knew that. Rorona's arms wound around Kai-Linn's waist just as she started towards the cabin.

"Deidara!! Kioma!!" She screamed hysterically, thrashing in Rorona's arms. "Let go! I have to save them! They can't die too!"

"Kai-Linn, stop this! We can't help them now!"

"No! Not them too!" Kai-Linn slumped in Rorona's arms. "First Itachi… now them…" Her voice broke.

"Sweetie… I know what its like to lose multiple people at once. But do you want to lose that Naruto boy too?"

Kai-Linn turned and buried her face in Rorona's chest. Rorona stroked Kai-Linn's hair, staring at the flaming rubble of the cabin. She held Kai-Linn closer, whispering comforting words into the girl's ear.

* * *

Two cloaked figures stood near cliff, examining moss covered rubble that had once been a base for Akatsuki. The tallest of the two kicked a rock over the cliff and watched it fall. Behind him, the smaller one was surveying the area. The tallest turned, anger glinting in his purple-red eyes.

"Where is she?" He asked, voice dangerous yet alluring. "Your information was wrong."

The smaller one chuckled. "Calm yourself, please. I was informed only once that this is where they were located. Apparently, they've scattered before the… war." He finished.

"I need her now, though. She's the last thing I have left. To lose her is to lose everything all over again."

"How wistful of you. I've never seen this side of you, Cole-sama."

The man smirked. "Trust me, Kabuto-san. It is a intermittent tone. Do not expect the tone directed towards you. It solely for Kai-Linn."

Kabuto's scale-like skin stretched into a sarcastic leer. "And what of Akira and Kijo?"

"The latter is nothing but a corpse. Akira, however, is a prominent student that has strayed down the wrong path."

"You speak terribly of your former students. But what of your wife?"

"A deceiving, walking carcass that should've remained dead."

Kabuto smirked again and a costal wind roared over the cliffs. Kabuto's silver hair fell to his shoulders in faint waves as the wind . Scales covered his face, eyes becoming similar to his late master, Orochimaru. Cole's long, unruly hair was like fire-lit gold and his skin was pale ivory. A scar ran down his right eye to the middle of his neck.

"Come, Kabuto. We must discover where my wife and daughter have run off to."

* * *

DV13: Plot twists! Sorry the chapters shorter than most. The way my mind is working on this story, I can't sit still in class because I want to work on it more. It annoys me a little when I'm in the middle of Geometry and I'm thinking about what can happen in the next chapter!! But there might end up being a third part of Kai-Linn and Itachi's story. -devious grin- For those of you that don't remember his refrence, Cole is the former sensei of Kai-Linn, Kijo, and Akira. Kioma is an old friend from Kai-Linn's past (Past and Present memory chapters; Kuran no Kiri chapters 4-5, 12)

Till the next chapter!


	18. Awakening Something Part 2

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 18

Awakening Something  
_Part Two

* * *

_

Kisame slung the Kyuubi-vessel over his shoulder as he approached the waterfall. Looking around, he stepped under the waterfall and started to climb the slick wall behind it. After about fifteen feet, he was in a shaft that stretched about three feet up. He reached the landing that lead down a long tunnel. Adjusting Naruto on his shoulder, he walked down until he emerged on a cliff edge overlooking a huge circular room. Walking down stairs carved out of rock, holographic figures flickered into the room. Mikori and Zetsu were the only others physically present. The silver haired woman kept her eyes averted from everyone, focusing on opening and closing one of her fans.

"Well done, Kisame." Pein commented as Kisame dropped the slack figure on the ground.

The large statue head and hands erupted from the ground. The holograms flickered onto their respective fingers as Mikori, Zetsu, and Kisame jumped up to the others. Mikori's eyes flickered to the right pointer and middle finger and left pinky; all three were empty. Not bothering to question it, she started to weave the handsign like the rest of the group. The dragon-like blue spirits lashed out at Naruto.

* * *

Sasuke stopped in the courtyard of a burned down temple. A wandering traveler was whispering of bandits attacking a man up at the old temple. The victim had been a pale skinned man with raven-black hair and supposedly part of the deceased Uchiha clan. Sasuke demanded to know the location and started off. Sure enough, Itachi's corpse lay in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded in dried blood and rubble. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Itachi was too powerful to be outdone, let alone killed, by bandits. He saw a tattered piece of cloth with a red cloud pinned to the ground by a kunai. So Akatsuki had killed one of its puppets. Damn bastards; _he_ was supposed to kill Itachi! _He_ was supposed to avenge his clan by killing Itachi. Sasuke angrily kicked the body of his older brother.

He stared in shock when the arm fell off.

Slowly, Itachi's body began to disintegrate into what looked like black ash. Itachi's Akatsuki cloak was a cocoon for the black sediment. Suddenly, the remains moved. Sasuke stared as the remains started to scatter. He jumped up to the wall of the courtyard and watched as the sediment crawled into crevices. A black beetle crawled onto his arm. He stared at it for a moment before flicking it off. A clone? Made of bugs? It seemed like an Aburame technique, not one of Itachi's tricks. He gave a faint smirk.

So he would be able to kill his brother after all.

All he had to do was find him.

* * *

Kakashi stared down at Kijo's grave marker. Obito… Rin… Minato-sensei… now Kijo. He sighed heavily and looked up at the darkening sky. He glanced over his shoulder at a young man with thigh length green-black hair and soft, pale features. His name was Ryuumaru. He was Kijo's brother. Tears were running down his face as he looked down at the grave marker. He and Kakashi stood there silently even after the funeral had finished. Around them, more funerals were occurring. Grief was smothering Konoha like a wet blanket.

As Kakashi expected, thunder rolled overhead and rain poured down. Ryuumaru looked up and sighed.

"The Gods are crying as well." Ryuumaru mumbled, voice gentle yet strained. "So much has happened, I'm not surprised."

"Yes, it would seem so." Kakashi answered. "What will you do now, Ryuumaru? Are you going back to live in Kirigakure?"

"Probably… but…" He trailed off, looking at Kakashi. "Part of me wants to become a Shinobi and avenge Kijo."

Kakashi sighed heavily. "Take it from me, whose seen it. Revenge is something you don't want to chase after. You will become obsessed, turn into a demon, and loose sight of your path."

"Are you talking of your former pupil, Uchiha Sasuke?"

Kakashi could only nod. Sasuke was gone. And the Reconnaissance Corps discovered Naruto's disappearance. Sakura was a mess and Kakashi felt terrible. Two of his students; gone. _What will happen now?_ He questioned himself. _You're somewhat lucky, Kijo. You can escape all the coming pain…

* * *

_

Kai-Linn looked up as Rorona came out of a small village. Rorona had bought fresh clothes, supplies, and cloaks. Kai-Linn changed into the clothes Rorona handed her. The high necked, zip-up, black tank top formed comfortably to her form and was made of a tough, armor-like material. Fishnet stretched from her wrists and to her torso. Black pants were tucked at the calf into no-heel-boots. Fingerless gauntlets stretched comfortably to her forearms. She threw on the cloak and stepped out. Rorona had changed into a sage green cheongsam with black, thigh-high shorts and fishnet on her legs. Dark brown gloves covered her hands. Her white hair had been pulled into a messy bun. They exchanged quick glances before darting back into the forest. Kai-Linn kept her senses open for traces of Kisame or any other Akatsuki's chakra. Someone was following them, but so far back, she couldn't make out the chakra signature. But the moment she started to recognize the chakra, the person would move farther back. She glanced at Rorona, who shook her head.

Kai-Linn stopped so suddenly that Rorona went shooting past her before coming to a stop. Their follower came to a slowed stop like Rorona, giving Kai-Linn the chance to examine the chakra. There were actually two people following them, but they were complete strangers. She clenched her fists, eyes downcast. Rorona looked back at her and beyond, scoping out the possible threats. Her black bladed broadsword, Kage-tô, was out in a flash. She twitched her head in one direction. Kai-Linn started in the route specified while Rorona went the opposite way. The two strangers split up and Kai-Linn broke into a run once she reached rocky terrain that marked the border into Land of Earth. The person following her was almost as fast as Itachi, and closing in on her fast.

Kai-Linn felt pain roll through her chest at the thought of his name. Angered, she drew her katana. She turned and sent chakra into the blade, unraveling it, and swung it in a wide horizontal arc. Her pursuer hid behind a tree trunk; her blade narrowly missed him. She stood on a boulder and glared.

"Come out. I know you're there." She growled, eyes lit up. Her collarbone felt like it was on fire.

The man stepped out and she ran her eyes over him. His hair was the color of fire-lit gold. His purple-red eyes stared back at her, softening from a former iciness. Her eyes lingered on the long scar etching down from his right eye and down to his pale neck. A black cloak covered his body. The feeling of déjà vu struck her temples. Unsure, Kai-Linn jumped back and into the rocky valley below. The man followed, both landing silently in the deep valley. She took a step back and he stepped forward. She took a stepped to the left and he followed. She met his eyes and found herself looking away.

"Who are you?" She asked.

He cocked his head to the side and took a step forward. Kai-Linn's hand flashed with chakra and the tip of her blade embedded itself in the ground at the man's feet. He looked down at it and looked up at her with an innocently curious look on his face. It made Kai-Linn's blood run cold. His laugh… his face… so familiar…

"I asked you a question. Who the hell are you?" She snapped, anger rising with the temperature on her collarbone.

The man laughed and she found herself becoming tense, grip tightening on the handle until her knuckles turned white. As the man stepped towards her, he stopped masking his chakra. The sheer force coming from him snapped Kai-Linn out of her stupor and back away, dropping her sword. The man crouched down and picked it up by the pommel and looked at it. He forced chakra into it and she stared as the sword reconnected. She looked at him as he approached with the katana in hand. She backed up, hands seeking any barriers behind her. She came in contact with cold rock and looked up at a landslide debris made wall. She turned back to the man. She steeled herself.

"I'm going to repeat myself once more. You see, I'm not very patient right now and angering me any further could result in a torturous death. Now, as monosyllabic as I can ask… who are you?"

The man smiled again, flipping the katana in hand so the pommel faced her. She reluctantly took it back, recoiling from the touch of their fingers. "I am… oh, how to put this…" The man pondered to himself, voice showing no sign of deceit or bad intentions. "This is, honestly, very awkward, Kai-Linn."

"S-spit it out." She demanded, shaken by the fact he knew her name. The way he spoke it was endearing… almost loving.

"I…" His mouth became crooked as he thought. "Ah, suppose there's no way around it. Kai-Linn, I'm your father and your sensei, Cole Zendric." His voice was drowned out.

Snarls pierced the air. A pride of mountain lions climbed over the landslide behind Kai-Linn and stared down at her and the man with hungry eyes. But Kai-Linn was too shocked to move.

This man, Cole Zendric, was her long-lost sensei…

And her father?

* * *

Rorona looked at Kabuto with hatred. This boy had fused his cells with the remains of Orochimaru, the one who tried to kill her and went so far as to take her daughter afterwards. Kabuto's face was almost exactly like her old enemy, save for Kabuto's platinum hair. She sighed and threw her hands up. "Look, I don't want to fight you; my anger is for your master. Simply because you and he are fused by cells does not mean I have quarrel with you."

Kabuto darted forward, hand alight with a chakra blade. Sighing, Rorona shook her head. When he was inches from her, she lashed out with two punches to the face and struck him hard in the throat. Before he could recover, she roundhouse kicked him in the side. She felt ribs crunch under her foot as he crashed into a nearby tree, effectively knocking it down. Rorona stepped forward and aimed Kage-tô in the direction of Kabuto's throat. She wasn't shocked to see he was almost completely healed from her barrage of attacks.

"I _said_ I have to quarrel with you, Yakushi-san. However, I _can_ and will kill you if you continue to attack." She pressed her blade to the side of his neck, drawing a thin line of blood. "Now leave, or I'll see if you can survive a decapitation."

"Heh…" Kabuto chuckled. "He was right about you, Rorona-chan. You are a formidable corpse, but a corpse all the same. Tell me your secret… how you survived Orochimaru-sama's attack after childbirth?"

"That snake wasn't masking his chakra very well. After I gave birth to Kai-Linn I substituted my body with a bug clone. Unfortunately, I had to leave Kai-Linn behind in order for the ruse to work."

"Bug clones? An Aburame technique and very deceiving. I would like to examine a beetle later."

"Enough about me." Rorona smirked. "Who called me a formidable corpse?"

Kabuto smirked. "Why, none other than your husband."

Rorona felt rage boil inside of her as Kabuto's head rolled to the ground. Cole? Alive? She grit her teeth, ignoring the mass of snakes slithering back into the forest. So much like his master, sending a clone to do his work. Rorona took a sharp breath. The other chakra signature that followed Kai-Linn… could that have been Cole? If it was, she would find out. After biting her thumb and doing a string of handsigns, she sat on the back of her three tailed fox summon as it darted towards Kai-Linn's direction. She sensed someone else, chakra masked, running in the same direction. She didn't bother to look around; it wasn't worth it. Whoever it was, friend or foe, she would deal with them _after_ she found out if a snake told the truth for once.

The fox came to a halt above a large chasm-like valley. Rorona scanned the floor of the valley and saw Kai-Linn. Pointing, the fox expertly jumped down to the valley floor, muscles tensed for any attacks. The fox landed on a landslide and looked down. Both were shocked to see blood caked against the rocky walls and floor of the valley. A stranger stood not too far off from Kai-Linn. Rorona jumped off the fox's back, who vanished in a poof of smoke, and landed defensively in front of her daughter. Tsukigan lit up her eyes. Protective, motherly instincts boiled in her veins until the man turned.

"C-Cole." She whispered, body straightening in surprise.

He smirked, dropping the barely recognizable body of a mountain lion. "Hello, Rorona. It has been some time hasn't it? Nineteen years, if I'm not mistaken."

"That you aren't, Cole." Rorona bit out. "Tell me; why have you come back from the dead? I thought you were executed by Konoha seventeen years ago."

"Officially, Cole Zendric, S-Class missing nin accused of murder, thievery, and kidnapping, is dead. His brother, Tian Zendric, became a sensei to three girls until seven years ago, when he went missing." He gave a quick bow, a winning smirk across his face. "But my brother is the one who died… loyal brat to the very end. But my question, my love, is not how _you_ cheated death but why Kai-Linn does not know of her dark fate and your family's darker ritual?"

"Be quiet, Cole!" Rorona snapped, drawing Kage-tô. "She doesn't need to know that."

"Know what?" Kai-Linn asked.

Rorona shook her head and Cole smirked. "Kai-Linn…" He started. "If you come with me, I can tell you." He extended his hand.

"Don't." Rorona snarled as Kai-Linn started towards him. "You can't trust him… he might be in league with Akatsuki… which in case you didn't notice, they aren't fond of us anymore."

Kai-Linn looked back at Cole. His eyes, which were open and caring towards her, were hard and narrowed at Rorona. "You'd shelter her from the truth?"

"I'm protecting her!" Rorona's rage was building now.

"And yet, after giving birth to her and replacing your body with a bug clone, you left her, vulnerable… abandoned… _alone_. Perfect pickings for Orochimaru's twisted experiments. However, my parental instincts overran _my stubbornness_ and I got her out of there." He smirked. "Who sounds like the bad guy here?"

Kai-Linn looked away from Rorona, pain apparent in her eyes. Rorona sighed heavily. Quickly, Kage-tô lashed out, piercing Cole in the stomach. The man simply smiled, even as blood trickled from his mouth. "Ow."

"Stop it, mother!" Kai-Linn hollered. "I want to hear him out!"

Rorona flinched as Kai-Linn called her mother. After a moment, Kage-tô retracted and Cole placed a hand over his bloody middle. Kai-Linn and Rorona stared as the blood went in reverse, seeping back into his wound, which closed up. Rorona glanced at Kai-Linn and back at Cole. Kai-Linn took a deep breath and started toward Cole. She hesitated as Kabuto formed from a tower of snakes. Kabuto watched her with his cold yellow eyes. But the reassuring smile from her former sensei reassured her and stopped in front of him. She glanced back at Rorona, whose eyes were focused on the pebble under her foot. She reached up and touched the stone cold charm on her chest.

She let out a pained gasp as she collapsed to the ground.

Her hands automatically dug into her collarbone as broken screams tore out of her throat. Rorona and Cole were looking down at her in shock. They were yelling at each other, gesturing at Kai-Linn. Kabuto looked at her, remaining silent and smiling. Why were his eyes so terrifying? The burning on her collar seared again and she sobbed out a swear. She felt cold air hit her chest as Rorona unzipped her top. Her fingers pried away Kai-Linn's hand from her collarbone. Under the fishnet, the curse mark was glowing like fire and spreading across her chest. Kabuto smiled wider and she screamed. Rorona felt fear course through her as Kai-Linn's screams started to become inhuman snarls. She let out a scream that sounded like the howl of a great beast. It echoed through the valley…

The echo escalated into a screech.

Cole and Kabuto jumped to the side. Rorona grabbed Kai-Linn in her arms and back-flipped a few feet. She hid Kai-Linn from the debris as something crashed into the chasm's floor. After a moment, Rorona looked over her shoulder at the small crater. Kai-Linn had stopped screaming and was trying to focus on the person. Whoever it was, they were tall with long hair. Her heart stopped for a moment until she realized there was no heat from her chest. It wasn't Itachi. The dust cleared to show…

Sasuke.

* * *

"What the hell is this?" Hidan hollered. "What the fuck did you to, Fish Head?"

Kisame's eyes narrowed. "Don't ask me!"

Mikori stared in shock. One minute, Naruto was having his chakra sucked out by the statue spirits. Then, so sudden it wasn't even a moment, he disappeared in a poof of smoke. She looked around as unrest and rage-filled-confusion worked its way through the group. She met eyes with Konan, who stared back at her knowingly. Mikori quickly looked away. Kisame and Hidan continued to yell at each other. She looked at Pein, who was looking at Tobi's hologram with almost worried eyes. Tobi was shaking with anger.

What was going on?


	19. Awakening Something Part 3

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 19

Awakening Something  
_Part Three_

"Where's Itachi?" Sasuke demanded, his red eyes scanning the group. "I know he's with you! Where?

Kai-Linn felt pain shoot through her chest at Sasuke's questions. Itachi was dead. Sasuke should've known that by now. And yet the anger in his eyes was real, as if he'd been played for a fool.

Kabuto slithered up to Sasuke, the two exchanging glances for a moment. Sasuke glared and drew Kusanagi, aiming it at Kabuto's throat, daring the man to come closer. "I thought I killed you."

"No. You killed Orochimaru-sama. Akira-chan supposedly killed me." Kabuto smiled and pushed up his glasses.

"Hmph. With that ugly face, I didn't realize it was you, Kabuto." Sasuke growled, eyes narrowing. "I suppose I can kill you this time around…"

Cole seemed to scrutinize Sasuke for a moment, which didn't go unnoticed by the target; Sasuke's eyes left Kabuto to glance in his examiner's direction, the latter stating, "Such a dark look." Sasuke's eyes fixed themselves on Cole like an animal of prey, attention fully grasped. "You are definitely of the cursed Uchiha clan."

"And you're Cole Zendric." Sasuke noted, voice grated with impatience. "Now, where's Itachi?"

Kai-Linn got to her feet unsteadily, pushing Rorona's worried hands away. "He was killed by the other Akatsuki members." She rasped.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as his hand shot up and a bolt of lightning burned the ground in front of her. "Don't try to fool me! I saw his corpse; it was nothing but a pile of bugs after I kicked it."

Rorona flinched visibly, eyes searching Kai-Linn's face.

The after waves of the pain Kai-Linn felt were drowned by shock. Her eyes were locked on Sasuke without seeing him. Itachi… wasn't dead? The pile of bugs was strange, sounding more like an Aburame jutsu than Itachi's methods.

…_replacing your body with a bug clone…_

Something clicked and her father's words suddenly made sense. She looked at Rorona, shock and pain clearly etched in her eyes. Did she have something to do with Itachi's staged death? How could she trust her? Paranoia bubbled in her gut and she stepped away until she bumped into the landslide again. Why hadn't Itachi told her what he was planning? Her eyes widened at a small revelation.

Could she really trust anyone?

"Are you sure he's alive?" She asked, words tumbling out of her throat before she could think.

"Why would I go to the trouble of finding _you_ if he wasn't?" He retorted back, obviously displeased with the results he was getting.

The persistent burning turned into a cold heat that seared through her nerves and invaded her senses. Her vision clouded as she sped towards Sasuke at blurring speeds, hand outstretched and searching for his throat. She found her grasp empty handed as he moved out of the way, her target poising his sword at her offensively. She pulled out a kunai, ignoring the marks spreading like black embers across her skin and the slow drip of blood coming from the middle of her torso. Both fighters tensed their bodies for attack…

Cole stepped between the two, eyes fixated on Kai-Linn, freezing both in their preparation. Sasuke remained tense as he moved for Kai-Linn, the placating light in his eyes visibly relieving the tension of her body. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she relished the relief he presented. The mark receded slowly and her eyes fluttered as she struggled for clarity in her blurred vision, glancing up warily at her Sensei and father.

"We can search for him." He stated quietly, finding no need to describe who he spoke of. "You can trust me, Kai-Linn."

She pulled away from his grip and backed up, shaking her head slowly and contemplatively. "No. I need to do this by myself… I… I need some time alone." And she was gone.

She ran as fast as her body would allow, tears and wind stinging her eyes. Too fast… too confusing… everything just wasn't making sense anymore!

Her mother was alive.

Naruto was kidnapped, possibly dead by now.

Itachi was killed by someone… most definitely Akatsuki.

Deidara and Kioma were killed by an unknown person.

Her Sensei… her father was alive.

There was something… some dark secret her mother refused to share.

Itachi wasn't dead.

Kai-Linn's thoughts were incoherent, clouding her senses and judgment and forcing her to stop near a road. With a heavy sigh, she leaned against one of the many trees lining the road, viciously rubbing tears away with the back of her hand. As the adrenaline slowly faded from her body, she swore with the pangs of pain coming from the holes above her stomach. She pressed her hand against her bloodied shirt and summoned medical chakra until the bleeding stopped.

Taking a few deep breaths, she started to calm when she spotted two men walking down the road, unevenly and obviously drunk. Normally, she would've hidden in the trees until they had passed. But her body was unresponsive, refusing to move as they caught sight of her.

"Well, lookie here, Hokai-san!" The blonde nudged the redhead, bloodshot eyes fluttering with his snorting giggles.

The redhead, Hokai, looked her over. "Yeah, I see 'er, Ganju." They tilted their already awkward gait towards her, slimy grins plastered on their greasy faces. "Lost, girly? We can help-"

"If you know what's good for you, you'll _stay away_!" She warned weakly, venom weaved between her words. Her hand shot up to push down on her collar, making a futile effort to quell the burning, throbbing pain beneath her palm.

"Ah, don' be like that, girly! We can show you a good time." The one called Hokai put his hand on the trunk next to her, leaning towards her and swathing her with the stench of a sweaty, unwashed man who had drunk way to much saké. "We treat ya nicely."

"Heh heh, be easy with her 'nd leave some for me. She's kinda cute." Ganju added, eyes rolling over her, body leaning equally close and surrounding Kai-Linn with the revolting stench.

The two weren't helping her growing headache and the pain from her mark seemed to grow with each passing second. She groaned, focusing chakra into the hand on her collarbone while the other's knuckles turned white with the tight grip she had on a kunai. Chakra faintly glowed from the kunai's edge; however the two were too drunk to notice it, despite their scrutinizing. She found her hands shaking as they continued to make sick, perverted comments, stress fraying her tensed nerves. How much would it take to push her over the breaking point?

Hokai's hand came in touch with her side…

She could almost hear her patience snap followed by the hollow rush of rage into her body and control.

"**Leave me alone!**" She roared.

Ganju fell back, neck slit open by the kunai. In the same moment, a fist collided with Hokai's cheek, resulting in a sickening crack from his neck as his head tilted at a sickening angle. Ganju stared up at her until he finally stopped choking on his blood, while Hokai hadn't even been able to defend himself as his body lay in the dirt. They both were still, leaving Kai-Linn trembling with mixed emotions over their bodies. Hands shaking like mad, she dropped the kunai next to them. She heard the approaching footfall of a horse and the creak of a wagon. A perfect incentive for her to leave behind the sudden murder and run to the safety of the trees.

She bolted back into the woods until she was unsure of where she was. No light pierced the massive trees, surrounding her in dark green foliage. She grabbed at her forearms with her hands as her knees buckled together, forcing her to the ground. She was shaking violently now, mind racing. She killed two drunks… people that weren't her enemies… she killed in a moment of cold blood. Overcome with distress, she let out a piercing shriek.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" She screamed.

She slammed a chakra laden fist into a nearby tree. The force shattered part of the trunk and it collapsed, allowing small patches of light to pierce the darkness as she doubled over. Every pore of her body was in pain and her mind was racing with incoherent thoughts. Nausea overwhelmed her and she vomited violently on the forest floor.

Sobbing and shaking, she got to her feet and leaned against another tree, preparing to travel farther into the woods… to hide from everything that seemed to be going wrong…

"Kai-chan?"

The late teenage voice stopped her. She spun around to see Naruto standing in a patch of light. His azure eyes stared worriedly at her as he walked forward cautiously, as if approaching a crazed animal. She realized that must've been her appearance. She staggered towards him and, once close enough, pulled him into a tight embrace. He was stiff with shock for a few moments before his hands smoothed her hair and down her back in a kind gesture.

"Naruto…!" She sobbed into his jacket. "I-I thou-thought you were d-dead! K-Kisame… he captured you…"

"It was a shadow clone." Naruto whispered to her. His voice was comforting. "It's okay now, Kai-chan."

After a moment's pause, she looked up at him, words slipping out with no stopping them. "Have you seen Itachi?"

Naruto became stiff before shaking his head. "No. Wait a sec! I heard he got killed."

"It was a bug clone…" She mumbled. "He's out there, somewhere. And I intend to find him."

Naruto stared down at her. His eyes were troubled though he had a comforting smile on his face, not going unnoticed as he pulled away. She scrutinized him. What was he hiding? She backed away slowly and, without any incentive, she slammed her fist into a huge rock, crumbling it into dust. Naruto flinched back, fearing Kai-Linn's sudden rage. Body shaking, she turned her tear filled eyes to him.

"What aren't you telling me?" She screamed. "I'm sick and tired of people keeping secrets from me! Tell me what's going on…" She ran up and grabbed the front of his coat, lifting him easily. "TEL**L ME,** **NARUTO!**" She threw him to the ground angrily, shoulders heaving with sobs.

Naruto cast a glance to the side before sighing. "You'll find out eventually… better late than never." He rose into a sitting position, fingers digging into the moist earth. "Kai-chan… Kijo's dead."

Kai-Linn stared in horror at Naruto, his words echoing and ricocheting off her skull before finally setting in. Fresh tears pricked in her eyes just as Kisame and Hidan appeared from the tree line. They exchanged glances before the silver-haired Jashinist moved for Kai-Linn and Kisame moved for Naruto. Kai-Linn sucked in a shaky breath as Naruto got to his feet and drew a kunai. She saw the red of Hidan's tri-scythe out of the corner of her eyes. But she couldn't focus on her current threat.

_Kijo… is dead?_

"I'll fucking kill you, nice and slow." Hidan chuckled. "Payback for betraying Akatsuki, you little bitch!"

With an animalistic shriek, Kai-Linn slammed a chakra laden fist into Hidan's gut. The unexpecting Shinobi gasped out a loud groan as multiple pops racked the inside of his body. Blood flooded his mouth as he went crashing into a tree, causing it to crack and lean with the sudden force. Kai-Linn turned her eyes to Kisame, Tsukigan lighting her eyes up. The curse mark bloomed in a flurry of black embers across her skin.

She curled her hands into fists, blood dripping onto the ground as her elongating nails sank into her darkening flesh. There was a faint hum to the air as her chakra became semi-tangible, crackling around Naruto and Kisame, who stared at Kai-Linn with twinges of fear accompanying each throb of power. The chakra radiating from the kunoichi was dark… powerful… raw… and terrifying. Naruto stepped away from Kisame as Kai-Linn stepped forward. Kisame's eyes shot to Naruto for a moment before becoming trained on Kai-Linn.

She took a shaky breath before speaking, voice contorted wither power and rage.

"Kisame… where's Itachi?" She hissed from fanged teeth, venom dripping from every letter.

Kisame raised a brow. "He's dead, kid." He smirked to cover up the twinge of raw fear her felt from seeing her fuming reaction. "Now be a good little girl and-"

"Where is he?" The chakra pulsed from her, forceful power nearly knocking Kisame over. "He isn't dead; his body was a bug clone! **Where.** **Is. He?**"

"I don't know, kid." The tone in Kisame's voice said otherwise. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. It would be a take-to-my-grave kind of secret.

"I see…" She shrugged, a twitch of her head and shudder of her shoulders. "You seem to forget how ruthless I am in this form Kisame. A bad memory could be hazardous to your health, shark man." Black-purple chakra flames bloomed on her hands. "You want to rethink your answer?"

Kisame sneered. "I'm ruthless as well. Bring it, kid. You won't get anything out of-"

Kai-Linn cleared the distance between her and Kisame in the blink of an eye. The only suggestion that she had _moved_, instead of teleporting or something,was the cascades of burnt-auburn hair settling against her frame and brushing against the blades of grass that rippled from the force of her chakra level.

She reached up and stroked his neck, almost lovingly, but the small twitches of her digits gave way to hints of a manic lunacy. "You said you would bring that kind of secret to your grave…" She gripped his windpipe in her clawed fingers and slammed him into the ground, smiling in satisfaction at the small red rivulets coming from under her grasp. She pressed her shins onto his upper arms, leaning forward to whisper, "I suppose that means I can beat you within an inch of your life?"

Fingers still digging into Kisame's windpipe, Kai-Linn rolled her head to look towards Hidan, who was approaching as fast as his healing body would let him. Mere feet before his scythe could find contact with flesh, a familiar cloaked figure dropped from the trees.

Cole Zendric.

"I can't have you killing her." He addressed Hidan. Two black sickles appeared in his hand, connected by a chain that seemed to be made out of shuriken. "She's very important."

"You fucking bastard… If she's so important, I think I'll cut your damn legs off first. Then, I'll slowly… _oh so slowly_ kill the little bitch behind you before I slit your goddamn throat!" Hidan let out an evil cackle at the dark, threatening look given by Cole.

With that, the two started to battle.

Kai-Linn returned her gaze towards Kisame, disappointed to find her fingers embedded in a log. She gave a hiss of dissent, frowning before pushing herself into the air with a flip, her hair clipped by a down swipe from Samehada. She landed, off balance, and cartwheeled farther away as he slammed the massive sword down onto his shoulder. She glared viciously at him, snarling ferociously in the back of her throat. She unsheathed her katana, letting the dark chakra flow onto the blade.

"Let's find out your pain tolerance, Kisame-_kun_." She hissed as she lunged at him.


	20. Awakening Something Part 4

GUESS WHO'S WAAAAY LATE 8D I AM! But I finally updated and I am pulling the curtain on _Kuran no Kiri._ THAT'S RIGHT, imaginary readers that no longer exist! _Kuran no Kiri_ is officially done! But there is more coming... LATER! Ha! No, I'm sorry. Stuff's come up and I've already decided to continue this in another story and so, with ignored sorrow, this is the last chapter of Kai-Linn's adventures and tragedy for some time.

Enjoy

* * *

Kuran no Kiri Chapter 20

Awakening Something  
_Part Four_

Naruto was frozen in fear. He was absolutely terrified.

In just a few minutes, Kai-Linn had wiped the floor with Kisame. She had dealt with him so brutally and violently, it was enough to make Naruto nauseous. Blood was soaked into the ground, turning the grass an ugly red color. Trees had been split and felled, splinters dripping with scarlet. Kisame's body was against a tree stump, one of many from their battle. Samehada lay a few feet away, his dismembered forearm still gripping the handle. His body was covered in gashes that made Naruto surprised Kisame wasn't dead yet.

Leaning over the bloodied man, Kai-Linn asked, "Now will you tell me?" The distortion of her faux innocent tone made Naruto shudder.

Kisame responded with a choked laugh. "Nope." He spit a glob of blood into her face.

She grimaced, wiping it away in disgust. Naruto felt bile rise in his throat as he looked at her blood covered body, most of it being Kisame's. The white of her angel wing was running with red streaks, more apparent than on her dragon wing. Her hair was cut raggedly to her skull, having cut most of it off during the earlier stages of battle. Her hands and arms were covered with Kisame's blood.

The only blood shed that came from her was from a gash in her upper arm, on her scalp, and from where her wounds had reopened on her abdomen.

The faint sense of déjà vu suddenly made sense to Naruto. In his head, he saw it all as similar to what happened to Sasuke. Just like before, Naruto could only watch as his friend was slowly swallowed by blood-lusting rage and darkness. Kai-Linn was allowing the darkness in her heart to take over, which allowed herself to injure someone, someone she had once considered an ally, in cold-blood. He felt like a prisoner in his own body, unable to form the words or move to stop Kai-Linn.

With a hiss, her hand went into Kisame's torso, just below the breastbone and in the middle of his ribcage. Kisame groaned, more blood pooling from his mouth. Kai-Linn smiled as wrist sank into his skin. She chuckled when her limb was swallowed up to the wrist.

"I can feel your heartbeat, Kisame." She stated excitedly. "So strong. But it's starting to speed up. You aren't going to die on me, are you, Fish Head?"

He let out a choked gasp as her arm twitched and a loud crack came from his chest. She pulled out her hand and backhanded him, splitting his cheek as he collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. "Oops, did I pierce a lung?" She grimaced in annoyance as Kisame vomited a pool of blood. "Damn. I think I _really_ hurt you." She sneered. "I think you're within an inch of your life. Please tell me where Itachi is before you die?"

Kisame gave out a weak, gruff scoff. "I guess… I'll… tell…" He sneered, looking up at her. "Dead… at that… temple…"

He said nothing more.

Kai-Linn frowned, kicking Kisame's corpse hard in the stomach. Blood flooded from his chest and mouth for a few moments then came to a stop. No circulation left. She snapped out her wings in fury, splattering blood around the small clearing. Useless! No information! She stomped the ground angrily before she heard a whimper, a small thing that she normally would have overlooked. She glanced over at Naruto, who was kneeling on the ground, eyes wide. Naruto... Her rage faded into indifference before a smile stretched across her blood stained face. She spun in a full circle before walking in his direction.

"Come to think of it, he kept a secret from me. Maybe I should kill him, too." She mumbled almost to herself. She smiled wider, gait slowing upon approaching him. "Oh, Naruto-kun…" She called in a sing-song voice.

A cold shiver shot down Naruto's spine, jolting him out of his frozen state. He scrambled backwards until a tree, which had miraculously survived the previous battle, blocked his way. Kai-Linn continued to approach, twirling her katana like a baton. She wouldn't kill him, would she? His mouth fell open, a broken whisper escaping his tight throat. "K-Kai-chan?"

Something in her eyes changed.

Raw blood lust slowly changed into surprise. He watched as the curse mark receded from her body and emerald replaced the moonlight in her wide eyes. Her body started to shake as she raised a hand to stare at the rivulets of blood staining it, mouth opening in closing without a sound. Her eyes traveled down and she gave a whimpering gasp at her state. All sense of animalism was gone, replaced by a mix of shock, confusion, and fear. She looked at Naruto, then over her shoulder, towards Cole.

Without warning, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed.

Cole was by her side in the same moment, catching her before she could get acquainted with the earth. Both he and Naruto glanced back at Hidan, a mix of body parts pinned to different trees and a sealing talisman on his abnormally silent head. Naruto hadn't even acknowledged the fight, too lost in Kai-Linn and Kisame's. Judging from the lack of blood flow on Cole's body, Naruto felt a respectful fear build up. This stranger was not one to be messed with.

Cole smirked as he hoisted Kai-Linn into his arms, turning to leave when a black clad man appeared in front of him, seemingly out of nowhere. Naruto vaguely recognized him as the one called Tobi. The black and orange whirlpool mask hid his face but not his chakra. Cole gave a wicked grin.

"Well well. Uchiha Madara. Quite a few corpses walking around nowadays, isn't there?" He glanced over his shoulder as Zetsu and Mikori appeared as well. "Is there a party I'm unaware of?"

Madara didn't answer, instead motioning for Mikori to get Naruto. The silver-haired woman nodded slowly, eyes flickering between Kai-Linn's still form and Kisame's decimated corpse as she moved towards her target. Without a sound, Rorona dropped from the trees, standing defensively in front of the shocked Kyuubi-vessel. Her eyes narrowed at Cole and, more importantly {to her}, Kai-Linn in his arms. When her eyes landed on the Akatsuki member she knew as Tobi, something flared inside her. Something that felt like pure rage, if not worse. She let out a groan as the rage swallowed her body in an unstoppable fire. When she looked back at him, her eyes were alight with Tsukigan.

"**MADARA!**" She screamed in fury, drawing Kage-tô. The motion itself cast an invisible wind through her stark hair, bleeding it to a dark maroon color as her eyes lit up with the Tsukigan.

Madara smirked under his mask. "Well, well. So the legends are true. Kagemara Isabel lives within her successors."

When Rorona spoke, it was as if another voice was overlapping hers. "Yes, dear Madara. I still live within my daughters, as merciless the task itself is. And with the newest successor and the eclipse, I will be resurrected and be able to bring my revenge to this pitiful country… and then, my dear, you will go next." The woman supposedly called Isabel smiled sultrily, turning to look at Kai-Linn. "Quite beautiful. The blood accents her body well." The strange woman that replaced Rorona threw a lock of hair over her shoulder. "She'll be a fine vessel." She reached out to stroke Kai-Linn's cheek.

Something stirred in Naruto, deep within his core and beyond the gates of his seal. With no coherent thought, he threw himself in between Isabel and Kai-Linn, eyes slowly turning red. "I don't know what's going on here… I never really do. Especially after what just happened. I-I'm really confused. But that doesn't matter and I'm NOTgonna let you touch Kai-chan!" He growled, baring his elongating fangs. "No matter what!" The feral snarl that sneaked its way into his voice made Kai-Linn stir for a moment.

The woman let out a sardonic, bell-like laugh, eyes fixated on Naruto with a spark of interest. "You must by the newest Kyuubi-vessel. You are like Kushina as you are not." She ran her eyes over him. "But you bear resemblance to Minato as well." She gave a terrifying grin, reaching out to touch Naruto...

A surge of chakra startled everyone except for the woman, whose eyes found Kai-Linn once again. Her target's eyes were wide open, looking at Isabel with an animalistic threat. She couldn't help but smile, pulling her arm away from Naruto in a small gesture of "no harm done." Kai-Linn's hazed eyes flashed with the brilliance of the Tsukigan for a moment and, in the same moment, tendrils of shadow shot up around Cole, Naruto and herself. Glaring at Isabel from behind them, the appendages covered the three Shinobi in a half-dome, melting into the ground and vanishing with no traces of the trio that it had just embraced.

* * *

Everything that had happened caught up to him. Prior to the transportation, he'd been too shocked to react. Now, clear of any immediate danger, the shock hit him hard.

With a dry heave, Naruto collapsed to his knees in the pouring rain, staring at his rippling reflection in the muddy puddle. The sight of the small drops of blood caked on his face, eyes just as red and pupils thin as a needle... a low chuckle, emanating from nowhere _outside_ his body, rung in his ear. With a deep groan, he emptied his stomach onto the mud.

"Get up, you stupid boy." Came the strange man's voice. Cole, if he heard correctly. "We need to go."

"Go?" Echoed Naruto, feeling his patience slowly slipping. "I don't know where we are, let alone what the hell's going on! And you're telling me we need to _go_?"

"We're in Amegakure." Cole stated simply, as if the most obvious thing in the world. "Kai-Linn took us here for a reason."

Her name seemed to bring her back to consciousness, for, not a moment later, Kai-Linn was pushing away from Cole, mumbling barely coherent complains for release. When he finally complied, he held onto her shoulders as the weariness of her day settled into her balance, clear through the way she swayed once his support lifted. Her dull eyes searched the area around them. Naruto did the same; trees, rain, more trees, a moss covered wall, even more trees… nothing that he deemed important. He glanced over at Kai-Linn, who was holding a necklace in her hand. She stared at it intently, as if waiting for the charm to come to life. Finally, she spoke, voice shaking and broken.

"He wasn't here…"

Without another word, she bolted off in another direction, with speed that made her disappear in the blink of an eye. Cole yanked Naruto to his feet in that same moment, chasing after the blur of dark colors that was Kai-Linn. At least she was staying within sight, slowing when they needed to catch up but darting off when they got too close. The Kyuubi-vessel had to wonder… where all this stamina was coming from. Her day had been unpleasant to her in the worst of ways and her wounds had no doubt reopened… and yet she still had the energy to teleport the three of them and run at incredible speeds a minute later. He watched her as best as he could; despite some troubles keeping a straight run, she seemed totally unaffected. He bit his lip, rolling the soft flesh under his teeth. She was pushing her limits. Worry gnawed at his insides before he realized his new goal.

Protect Kai-Linn at all costs.

This epiphany was cut short as Cole's back came into close contact with Naruto's face. The older Shinobi had stopped before a large clearing on a cliff side. Covered in moss were indiscernible pieces of rubble, Kai-Linn standing motionless in the middle of it all. She seemed lost in a distant memory, staring out to the setting sun and the sea that seemed to be on fire. Her necklace was still in her hand.

"What now?" Naruto asked.

His words went unanswered. She was gone before he could realize she'd ignored him and, this time, she wasn't waiting for them at all. Both he and Cole soon lost sight of her and only found her again by sensing her chakra.

She was standing in front of a small shrine, hand trailing delicately over the mossy stone, over the small statue in the recess. She touched the back of the shrine for awhile, eyes turned to a boulder nearby. With a flash of chakra, the boulder moved to reveal a small entrance into the earth.

Naruto followed Kai-Linn's quick descent, noticing the steps carved harshly into the rock under their feet. Behind them, Cole watched the boulder move back into place before following after the two younger Shinobi, body tensed for some form of trap.

Nothing happened as they stepped into a large, empty cavern, their footsteps echoing and ricocheting until all was still. In the center of the cavern, Kai-Linn did a quick string of hand signs before putting her hand on the floor. Flames burst from under her palm, hundreds of thin, towering pillars of fire shooting out in perfect alignment. They roared up the walls until they caught on something and stilled, illuminating the room in a dim, eerie glow.

"Kai-chan…" Naruto started towards her shaking form, noticing how there were dark droplets at her feet. Blood. "Are you okay?"

She jumped, as if surprised by his presence. Her feral eyes locked onto him and her body tensed, as if waiting for him to attack her. But the wild look in her eyes slowly dimmed as tears rolled down her face. Her hand trembled at her sides as she shook her head back and forth. A barely audible "No." choked its way out of her throat.

"Naruto, go scope out those hallways." Cole suddenly ordered, stepping towards Kai-Linn. "We have to make sure there isn't anything that will alert Akatsuki of our wherabouts."

Naruto stared at the two for a moment. "Alright." He agreed. "But if something happens, you better protect Kai-chan. Or I'll make you regret it"

Cole smirked as the blonde ran off, navigating Kai-Linn to the ground. She sat with little resistance, body shaking. His hands went to her stomach, summoning medical chakra to tend to her wounds. She tensed at first, body reacting to the invasion of foreign chakra. But slowly, she relaxed and the tremors slowed. Once the wound was closed and would stay that way, she nearly collapsed onto him. His hands found her shoulders and kept her upright.

"What're you going to do?" He asked her, in an almost interrogative tone.

The coldness made her eyes widen, staring into his. "What do you mean?" She snapped, voice almost as chilled as his.

"Kabuto is working with Madara and it's most likely Rorona is, too. With Orochimaru's memories, Kabuto knows how to reanimate bodies." He paused after each sentence, as letting the meaning behind his words all sink in. "He may try to bring back Itachi—"

"He's not dead!" She blurted out, eyes full of rage and desperation.

"Deidara and Kioma are." Cole waited for a retort. When none came, he continued. "We're involved with something you can't even begin to understand and I guarantee that we'll end up fighting with the Akatsuki and Kabuto. What'll you do if he resurrects those two?" Kai-Linn was silent. "And what if Itachi is dead and Kabuto resurrects him as well?"

She bit down on her lip, mind obviously at work. She shook her head after a few moments, obviously trying to clear it. After a few minutes of her thinking, she glanced away. "Then I'll fight him... them..."

"Are you sure?" Cole asked, obviously hoping for a more detailed answer.

Kai-Linn hesitated before nodding. "They're dead. If I... k-ki-kill them, I'll be helping them... I suppose."

"What about Naruto?"

Her face paled as her eyes widened. Anger sparked in her eyes at his implication. "What're you talking about? Naruto's not..." She paused. "What the hell are you planning?" She nearly screamed, jumping to her feet.

"Nothing that you're implying." He defended quickly, not getting up immediately. "However, think about it. Akatsuki wants the Kyuubi inside of him. You could use those bracelets you used on that Akira girl and seal the accursed thing inside of one. Or..." His eyes hardened as he rose. "You act on my supposed implications and make it so they can never get the last tailed beast."

Under his cold gaze, Kai-Linn backed away, eyes downcast.

"Why wouldn't you kill him? You already said that you'd kill Deidara, Kioma, and Itachi if you had to."

That got her attention. "It's not the same!" She screamed, voice echoing through the chamber. "Naruto's alive, Sensei! The others? They're already d... dead..." Her voice broke and she shook her head vigorously. "I would never kill Naruto!"

"Kai-chan, what's wrong!" Naruto called out, coming to a screeching halt from his run out of the passageway.

Kai-Linn pushed Cole away, storming to the other side of the cavern. Naruto looked between the two in confusion before settling near Kai-Linn. He slung an arm around her shaking form.

"What now?" He asked, leaning his head atop of hers.

"We wait." Cole answered sharply. "Give her time to recuperate."

Naruto nodded and looked to Kai-Linn for confirmation. She gave a barely visible nod before she leaned against him, another tremor shooting through her.

More waiting...

It's all she could do.


End file.
